The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway
by AubriFalls
Summary: "Conceal. Don't feel." I can barely hear his whisper. He chants it several times, his breathing gradually becoming calmer and steadier. The trails of smoke dissolve. He shifts his weight from the tree back to his own feet, and swivels around to face me. "My name is Ember."
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

My name is Elsa.

I feel like that's always a good way to begin a story; a nice solid introduction. It gets the point across right from the very beginning and nobody has to be kept guessing about who's even telling the story. Mind you, it's always important to know who's telling a story. If you had a handful of people who were to all sit down and tell you a story, I would imagine that they would all tell it differently. Everyone has their own way of explaining a situation, that's probably because different details mean different things to different people.

I might sit down and tell you about a very special moment that I shared with my sister, Anna, but I promise you that she would tell it in a very different way.  
I am not implying that my dearest Anna is a liar. She is just very goofy and her story would end up being very silly because those were the details that were the most important to her.  
I am not as carefree as my sister, however, so I imagine my story would end up being a great deal more serious.

At this point, I have a hunch that many of you would be wishing that she were the one telling you her story. People like to laugh, therefore, people like reading stories that make them laugh.

But this is not Anna's story.

It's mine.


	2. Chapter 2

What is the only thing strong enough to melt a raging ice storm?

I do believe we all know the answer.

It's love.

Love saved both my kingdom and my sister.  
If there were no love, my kingdom would be doomed to the infinite cold and my sister would still be frozen.

That being said, I feel as though I am expected to tell you that love was the answer to all of our problems and that there on after we were all set free.  
After all, this is a fairytale and fairytales always have happy endings. How can it be a fairytale if it does not have a happy ending? Is it still a fairytale if there is no happy ending?  
With just a few words, I will shatter all of the magic that you might've seen in this story that you know of. In this story where love came out as the victor and we all lived happily ever after.

Love wasn't strong enough.

At this moment you are probably now very disappointed in me, because as a princess in a fairytale, I should never have said a thing like that.

But I did, and I meant it.

You see, I have a secret.  
I haven't told a single soul yet, so I am placing my utmost trust in you.  
I fear that Anna might find out and I do not want her to.  
She's so excited for her wedding, and I do not wish to dampen her spirits until she and Kristoff are wed.

The cold is now bothering me... and it is making me ill.

Having powers of any sort is an unnatural thing. Humans were just not meant to be in control of anything that big.  
Whether it be wind or water or ice, it will always eventually overcome the individual.  
Wind will always seek to blow, water to drown, ice to freeze, and so on and so forth. No one is strong enough to fight the will of nature.

I am not strong enough to fight the will of nature.

Love is not strong enough to fight the will of nature.

Because love can thaw the world around me.  
It can melt my kingdom and rescue my sister, but love cannot save me.  
Because the ice will always be within me.  
The ice will always seek to freeze. If I will not let it consume the outside world, then it will consume me.

I am dying. I am going to be frozen.


	3. Chapter 3

I am standing in my room alone.

Today is the big day. Today I get to see my sister Anna wed to her beloved Kristoff.  
We've been planning for this day to no end. I want it to be nothing less than perfect for my Anna; she deserves it.

My only desire is that my parents could be here to see it.  
My father would perform the ceremony and he would do it brilliantly and with no fault.  
My mother would be in tears.

I let out a sigh. My breath comes out in an icy fog.

My parents are not here.  
I will be the one to wed my sister to Kristoff.  
I admit to being slightly nervous. Not nearly as nervous as I was for my coronation, though. I hope to never reach that height of nervousness ever again.

I slip my half-frozen, light blue fingertips into my gloves.  
The rest of my hand is fine and the flesh is its normal pale color, so please do not fuss over me.

It seems as though my skin is being frozen cell by cell, little by little.  
My fingertips are the only things affected, thus far.  
It isn't even all that bad, except for some minor loss in feeling.

Someone suddenly bangs at my door. I jump back in surprise, but I calm down quickly as I hear a familiar voice exclaiming from the other side, "Oh, Elsa! Guess what day it is today!"  
Anna.  
I smile and respond through the door, "I'm not sure... is there something special going on today, Anna? I'm not aware of anything in particular."  
She bursts through the door, causing me to jump back again.  
"I'm getting married!"  
I let out a delighted laugh. "Of course you are! How could I possibly forget about my sister's big day?"  
We embrace, both of us giggling like little girls.  
"So I was thinking..." Anna let's her sentence trail off.  
"Yes?"  
"Well... since it is my big day and all..."  
I laugh again. "Just say it, Anna."  
"Do you want to build a snowman?"  
I take a step back. I admit, I was not expecting Anna to ask that.

It is no secret that I'm not using my powers much these days.  
A good majority of our kingdom probably is relieved, due to recent activities in which a certain queen covered the whole kingdom in snow.

I was hoping Anna wouldn't bring it up again until after the wedding.  
I suppose I should have known, though.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Anna."  
"But why not?" I can see the disappointment in her eyes. I hate that I'm disappointing her.  
She continues, "We've figured out how to control your powers now, Elsa! It won't be the same as it was before! I know you can do it; I've seen you! You have control over it now!"  
"Anna." My voice is firm. "No."  
Her shoulders slump and she looks down at the floor.  
I add gently, "I'm sorry."  
Anna, always the one to bounce back quickly, seems to regain her composure. She looks back up at me and smiles. She replies in a perky voice, "Oh, it's no big deal... maybe next time." She fumbles, "Well, I don't mean next time. I mean I do, but I don't. As in, next time as in another day, not as in next time I get married, because I'm not getting married again. I mean, I hope I don't anyway. I mean... never mind."  
"Oh, Anna." I hug my sister again. "Don't ever change."  
"I won't!" She assures me. "Well, except for my dress. I should probably change that." Her eyes light up. "I should probably be getting ready!"  
"Yes, of course."  
With that, Anna turns on her heal and glides out of my room, my door clicking shut behind her.

Somehow it feels colder in here without her.  
Oh yes, I remember now. My body is freezing itself.


	4. Chapter 4

Conceal. Don't feel.

This feels all too familiar.

I take my place at the center of the platform.  
It is usually Arendelle custom that the royal family's marriage ceremonies be held in the grand throne room, but of course Anna opted that it be done in the village square.  
She always hated being stuck in that castle.

"You know, you should always wait to catch snowflakes in your mouth until after all the birds have flown South." Olaf waddles over to me.  
"What?" I ask, confused.  
"Well, it's always good to take precautions." Olaf looks at me knowingly.  
"Olaf, you shouldn't be here, you silly snowman!" I scold him, ignoring whatever it was he was trying to warn me about. "The ceremony is about to begin, you should be in your place and ready."  
"Sven isn't even here yet."  
"Kristoff." I correct him.  
"Same difference." He responds. "He still isn't here."  
"Well, he will be." I nudge the little snowman towards the edge of the platform.  
Olaf huffs. "Alright, alright. No need to be so pushy." He adds, "But we all know you should be the one doing my job. If you would make it snow just a little, which we all know you can do anyway, then I could be sitting in the back, snacking on snow cones."  
"And then you would be complaining that you weren't a part of the wedding." I tease him.  
"Can I have a snow cone. Just one?" Olaf bats his eyes at me.  
I nod my consent. "If you hurry."  
He scurries off the platform and to the refreshment table.

Conceal. Don't feel.

My fingers are aching.  
I wish we had done the wedding earlier in the year when it wasn't quite so cold out.  
It isn't that deep into the seasons yet as to have snow, but the wind has quite a bite to it.

Kristoff steps onto the platform.  
At last!  
He grins at me, then takes his place at the right.

"Are you ready?" I ask him.  
"Indeed." He replies.  
He looks nervous, but I don't blame him. I'm nervous, and it's not even my wedding.

I take a step forward and address my people. "People of Arendelle, we gather here today in honor of my sister, Princess Anna. Today, she and this young man will be joined together in marriage. I know that we have all been anticipating this day for quite some time now, and I am glad to announce that it is finally here.  
"I know that my mother and father, your beloved queen and king, are smiling down upon us on this day. Though they be not with us in flesh, I know that they are here in spirit. They have been anticipating this day since my dear Anna's first breath.  
"It is my pride and joy to be able to share this moment with each and every one of you. It is my pride and joy to be able to unite my dear sister to her beloved.  
"Long live Arendelle and many blessings to all her people!" I bow my head and step back into place.

A soft melody lifts from the orchestra and into the air. It dances in the wind and around the square.  
For a single moment, it seems as though all of Arendelle simply stops and inhales a single breath.

Then, that breath is expelled and the ceremony begins.  
It begins with 12 beautiful bridesmaids, who are young village girls, hand-picked by Anna.  
Donned in identical, elegant gowns, they walk down the aisle, two-by-two.  
Once they reach the platform, Sven (who is Kristoff's reindeer), proceeds to trot down the aisle after them, carrying two silver rings upon the crystal-blue cushion secured to his back.  
After Sven reaches his place on the platform, Olaf emerges and begins to perform his duty in the wedding.  
As Olaf waddles down the aisle, he showers the guests with little snowflakes. This was Anna's idea, of course, that she have a snow man, instead of a flower girl.  
Olaf seems to be enjoying himself as he makes his way toward the platform, so I don't feel like I'm inconveniencing him too much by not doing it for him with my own powers.  
I did grant him his request for a snow cone before the ceremony began, so he shouldn't be too displeased.

At last, Olaf reaches his destination, and there is only one last person to make their journey down the aisle.  
Last but not least... my sister.

Anna appears, clad in her extraordinary wedding gown, and I do believe we all are taken aback for a moment.  
She is beautiful.  
Her gown is an icy blue, with mountains of lace, cascading down, layer after layer until the skirts brush against the ground.  
Her hair is twisted back into an elegant style that really brings out her big, blue eyes in the best way.  
As she walks, we can see fragile, glassy shoes peak out occasionally from under her dress. They look as though they were carved of ice. The thought sends shivers down my spine.

Anna is halfway down the aisle now. It seems as though time has slowed down.  
We are focused on her every step, on every swish of her gown.  
All she is focused on is Kristoff, for he is the only thing she has laid eyes on since she first entered and began her walk.

A sharp stinging pain stabs into the tips of my fingers, and it takes everything within me not to cry out in pain.  
Conceal. Don't feel.  
I just need to get through this.

This is when the flames break out.


	5. Chapter 5

We all watch in horror as the building is engulfed by the fire. It is the village bakery.  
It all happens so suddenly that it takes several moments for any reaction at all from any of us. All we can do is watch.  
I snap out of it as I hear someone cry out, "Thief! Thief!" For this is when I see a cloaked figure running away from the burning building.

"Guards!" My voice rings out, signaling that they take action.  
They obey my command and pursue the offender.

My eyes follow after the figure. I am taken aback when I see a trail of buildings go up in flames as he runs past them. It seems so unnatural in the most familiar way.  
My astonishment is short-lived, however, when I see my men taking the same fate as the buildings.

Pandemonium in the square has kicked to full speed. Villagers are panicked and hysterical. I vaguely notice that Kristoff is trying to get Anna to safety, but of course, she is resisting.

My guards are no match for this mysterious figure, and I know that I cannot possibly watch a moment longer as he takes down both my kingdom and my people.

In one swift movement, I jump down from the platform and pursue this figure myself. At full speed, I head in the direction in which he fled.  
Through smoke-filled streets and past fire-infested structures, I make my way after him. I can just barely make out his silhouette in the distance.

We are nearing the edge of the village now, and if I continue after him I must enter into the forest.  
I know that I am catching up to him. I am determined.  
I sprint into the trees without hesitation.

Tree after tree lights up as if they are merely giant torches.  
I dodge fallen branches and blink ashes from my eyes, but still I follow after the figure, who is getting much closer.

"In the name of the queen of Arendelle, I order you to stop!" I cough.

To my surprise, he stops abruptly and swerves around to face me.

I have never seen such intense eyes on a human being before. It's as if there was a fire literally burning deep within their depths.  
I cannot take my eyes away from his, and I'm surprised that I'm having difficulty breathing; this is probably because of all the smoke, though.

"Do you think because you are the queen of Arendelle that you actually have any power over me?" He spits out. His breathing is rough and irregular, as if there were great turmoil within him.  
"You did stop, didn't you?" I don't generally tease people... I have no idea why I'm starting now.  
"I could burn you to a crisp." His hands are balled into fists. His whole body is shaking.  
I take a small step towards him. "You can't hurt me-"

A ball of fire comes flying at me. I have just enough time to sidestep it.

"Calm down" I say gently.

He turns away from me and buries his face into the trunk of a tree. I hear rugged gasps of breath. I can see little strands of smoke lifting themselves up from the bark and swirling into the air.

"Conceal. Don't feel." I can barely hear his whisper. He chants it several times, his breathing gradually becoming calmer and steadier.  
The trails of smoke dissolve.

He shifts his weight from the tree back to his own feet, and swivels around to face me.

"My name is Ember."


	6. Chapter 6

Ember stands before us in the dead center of the throne room.  
His dark hood is still draped over the majority of his face, save his fiery gray eyes. He seems to be clutching his cloak around himself tightly.  
Basically, he looks uncomfortable in every way.

It took everything within me to get him to come back with me.  
He seems to feel great remorse over the damage he has done to our kingdom... I have a hunch that my remorse is considerably greater.  
I imagine he agreed to come back in order that he might take the consequences of his actions, which is something I admire.  
However, he made sure to warn me numerous times on the short journey back to the castle that the damage might become even greater if he were to return. Either this was a cautionary warning or simply a threat.  
Whatever it may be, he stands here now and nothing has yet bursts into flames.

The throne room is scattered with only a few other people, most notably Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf.  
Anna looks as though she is about ready to rip Ember to shreds. I quite hope she is able to control herself.

"I would like to begin." Anna declares. I can hear the heat in her voice.  
I hesitate, but I do give her my consent.  
"First off, I'd like to say that I do not like you." She jabs her finger in Ember's direction. "You ruined my wedding, destroyed my kingdom, and-"  
"Anna." I interrupt.  
"He did!" She shrieks.  
Kristoff clears his throat. "Perhaps we should listen to what our witness has to say?"  
I nod at him. "Indeed. Baker, would you come forward?"

The village baker makes his way toward my throne. He kneels down before me. "Queen Elsa." He rises.  
"Baker, you may begin your story."

"I was just one of the many spectators at Princess Anna's beautiful wedding ceremony. I was enjoying the beautiful procession, when I noticed a strange cloaked figure out of the corner of my eye.  
I thought it was quite peculiar. Why was this man sneaking around town when there was a royal ceremony to be in attendance to? I knew that he had to be up to no good, so I followed him. Imagine my surprise when I realized that he was breaking into my store.  
I was outraged. I rushed in after him only to find that he was stealing some of my fresh-baked loaves of bread. They were meant for Princess Anna's reception.  
The next thing I new my whole store was in flames. I don't believe I've ever been quite so devastated in my entire life."

"I am deeply sorry for your loss, but I promise you on my royal crown that your bakery will be rebuilt." I assure him.  
"Thank you, your majesty!" He bows deeply.  
"Indeed." I smile sympathetically at him. "You are dismissed."  
He exits the throne room.

Anna takes this as her cue to continue. "Why did you steal from our village? Why were you even in our village in the first place? Where did you come from? Why-"  
"Anna!" I snap at her. I know my patience is wearing thin. It's been a long day and my fingers are causing me a great amount of pain.  
"I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this." She narrows her eyes at Ember.  
"Why don't we listen to Ember's side of the story?" I suggest.

We all turn our attention to Ember, who is still standing in the center of the room, looking as though he is very much out of place.  
I nod my head at him, willing him to begin.

He hesitates for a long enough moment that I believe we are all beginning to doubt if he is ever going to say anything at all, when at last he finally proceeds to speak.


	7. Chapter 7

"There is a strong force that many of us forget to acknowledge. It's the very same force that decides whether a baby will be born into a poor or wealthy family, whether it will be royal or common, kind or malicious.  
This is something that I call Fate.  
"Fate makes even the most minuscule of decisions that make up everything an individual is and will become, every little detail that will influence what their journey will be now and what it will be in the future.  
"Quite rarely, a strange phenomenon will occur and Fate will do something that is rather inconceivable by most people's standards: Fate hiccups.  
I know this to be a fact because I am a result of what happens when this occurs.  
When I was born... Fate hiccuped. Fate made a mistake.  
"I was born in a kingdom a great distance from here. I did not grow up as other children did, however, because I was not like other children. I possessed unnatural abilities. My family attempted to keep this a secret, but it was beyond my control.  
"I was banished from my kingdom due to an incident not unlike the one that happened today. Since then, I have been living on my own and searching for answers.  
"I keep as far as possible from populated areas, only entering villages on occasion when I need food or want to do research in their libraries. I try to do this when I know that I can be alone so as not to cause any disturbance or destruction.  
"I came to Arendelle seeking help from Grand Pabbie, the leader of the trolls."

I interrupt him here. "Did you find what you were looking for?"  
He sighs deeply. "I did locate the troll king. However, he was unable to be of any help to me."  
"Well, Elsa can help you-"  
I cut Anna off once again. "If we determine to release you, where would your next destination be on this journey of yours?" I direct my question to Ember.  
"My last hope is riding on what is most likely a myth." He sighs again. "Have you ever heard of the Kingdom On The Top Of The World?"

I haven't heard of this, and I'm judging by the silence of the others that they haven't either.

In response to our puzzled expressions, Ember expands on this subject. "I have read stories about this alleged kingdom in rare books I have stumbled across over the course of my search. They claim that there is a kingdom located at the exact top of the world.  
"There is said to be a great wizard that presides in this kingdom. He supposedly has unsurpassed powers."

"What would you do if you were to find this great wizard?" I question.  
Ember looks me dead in the eye. "I would ask that he expel my powers from me."  
"Do you think he could do that?" I involuntarily rub the icy pain in my fingers.  
He shrugs. "I suppose, if he exists."

"Which he'll never find out if he stays here..." I'm surprised that this is coming from Anna. I suppose she is now relating Ember to me and understands his suffering.  
She meets my eyes and I know that I have her blessing.

"I have reached a conclusion." I declare. "Ember is to be pardoned for all wrongdoings in Arendelle and he is to be released so that he may continue on his quest. This is by permission of the queen."

A look of relief shoots through Ember's gray eyes; the fire within them seems to waver for a moment.  
He bows before me and says sincerely, "Thank you, Queen Elsa."

"I only have one condition." I add.  
Ember raises an eyebrow. "Yes?"  
"You must take me with you."


	8. Chapter 8

Anna is helping me pack.  
By this, what I actually mean is that she is storming around my room like a stick of dynamite that will most likely detonate at any moment.  
She grabs one of my dresses, stomps across the room, and places it in my suitcase. This pattern continues for several minutes. All I can do is watch because I honestly don't even know what I to do with myself.

Click, click, click. Every step Anna takes echoes throughout the room. It bounces off the ceiling and onto the walls.

I try to stretch out my fingers to rid of the pain. They hurt so much; it really is becoming quite unbearable.

Click, click, click, click.

"Anna." I whisper.  
She explodes. She drops a pair of my shoes to the floor and covers her face into her hands. I can tell that she is crying by the trembling of her shoulders.  
"I don't understand!" She whimpers.  
I bite my lip. "Please don't cry..."

Anna lets her hands fall away from her face. I see the distraught look that is written there. My heart aches along with my hands. Oh, Anna...

"I don't understand." Anna repeats. "You have control over your powers now, why are you going to get rid of them?"  
I clench my hands together, doing everything in my power not to let the agony show.  
I can't tell her. I can't do it.

"Anna... please just let me go."  
She bites her lip. I can see more tears building up in her pretty, blue eyes. "But I need you."  
"Arendelle needs you... and I need you to take care of Arendelle." I reply. "Can you do that for me?"  
Anna hesitates, but she gives me a half-hearted nod.  
"Thank you, Anna."  
She shrugs.  
"Anna."  
She looks straight into my eyes.  
"I still want to see you and Kristoff wed before I depart."  
"At a time like this, Elsa?!" Anna shrieks.  
"Especially at a time like this." I answer. "Arendelle is in ruins. Our people are concerned. What would be better than a wedding to make certain they know that Arendelle will be returned to its former glory? Nothing is changed by this tragedy.  
Arendelle shall continue on as before."  
Anna remains silent for several moments.  
"Ok..." She says at last.  
I reach out and grasp her hands in excitement. "Then we should probably get you ready, my dear."

We leave the chore of packing my belongings unfinished for now. After all, there is a wedding to planned and very little time to do so.  
Anna and I walk out of my room together, still clinging to one another.

"Wow, Elsa." Anna remarks. "Your hands aren't usually so cold."


	9. Chapter 9

This feels like déjà vu.

The marriage ceremony is about to begin for the second time in one day.  
This time it is going to be held in the royal throne room, kept true to Arendelle tradition. Due to the unfortunate events earlier in the day, I did not think that it would be appropriate to hold it in the square as before, being that the square is currently filled with rubble and debris. Do not worry, this decision was made with Anna's blessing.

I open the door to my bedchamber and slip out into the hall. It is time. I make my way across the castle, down the grand stairway, and towards the throne room.

As I walk, I wring my hands together. I just have one more ceremony to get myself through.  
Conceal. Don't feel.  
Who am I kidding? I can feel the agony in my hands more than I can hear myself think.

Someone clears their throat behind me, which startles me.  
I whirl around only to find myself face to face with Ember.  
It seems he now feels comfortable enough to let down that hood of his; this reveals that he has a bush of shaggy black hair. I am doubtful that I have ever seen anyone with hair quite so dark before.

"Oh! Oh, it's just you..." I say.  
He stares at me intensely, with those smoky gray eyes. I just realize that this is what his eyes remind me of: smoke.  
"Uh... is there something I can help you with?" I manage to get out.  
"I want to ask permission to leave the castle grounds for a few hours."  
I raise an eyebrow. "Might I ask why? You aren't going to try to run away, now are you?"  
He keeps his gaze upon me still as he answers me. "No, I do not intend to run away." He pauses for a beat. "I do not agree with your decision to join me, but I do intend to abide by our deal. You have been more than generous to me, so I must be fair to you.  
"I wish to leave the castle for a short while during your sister's marriage ceremony, as I do not believe that I would be welcomed there by many of your people. I also would appreciate some time alone before we are to set off on this journey tomorrow.  
"You have my word that I will return to the castle after these few hours have passed."

His reasons are understandable. I can tell that he genuinely means what he says.  
"I give you my permission."  
"Thank you." Ember bows his head solemnly.  
"Of course." I reply. "Now if you'll excuse me."

I turn back towards the direction of the throne room. I make it two steps before I am overtaken by tortuous pain.  
I slam into the wall. I try to hold myself up with icy hands that feel nothing.

"Elsa!" Ember reaches out and steadies me.  
As soon as his hands make contact with my skin, I am overtaken by a completely different phenomenon: heat.  
For a single moment, I forget about every icy particle wreaking havoc within me. I forget that my body is beginning to freeze itself solid. I forget that I am dying to my own powers. For all of two seconds, I forget.

Ember jerks his hands away from me. He jumps back with a haunted look upon his face. "Elsa! I... I... am so sorry. Are you... Are you hurt?" He stammers. "Did I hurt you? I... I'm sorry."  
"No, Ember. You didn't hurt me..."  
He gives me a confused look. "How...?"

Olaf suddenly comes up from behind me. "Somebody's late!" He sings out.  
"Oh no! Are they ready to start?" I make a beeline for the throne room.  
I hear Olaf behind me, "How in Arendelle did you possibly forget about your sister's wedding, Elsa? We just had her other wedding earlier; it really hasn't been that long."

I push open the throne room doors and head toward the back of the room.  
Everybody is here, even Kristoff.  
I wonder if he is as nervous as he was earlier. I mean, once you go through it once can it really be that big of a deal the second time through?  
I realize that I am nervous, so I suppose that answers that question.  
I take my place to the left of Kristoff.

Conceal. Don't feel.  
This goes through my mind out of habit.  
My hands hurt considerably less since just a few moments ago with Ember. I can still feel a tingling sensation from where his hands made contact with my arms.  
I know that this relief will not last long, but I think that I can make it through the ceremony.

I go forward and address my people for the second time in one day.


	10. Chapter 10

"Today a piece of Arendelle was shattered."

I look out into the faces of my people. Many of them look a great deal more distressed than they had earlier, and with good reason.

"I would like to sing to you one of my favorite songs; it is a song about Arendelle and I know that you all are familiar with it. Join me if you will."

The throne room is still as my voice rings out clear and strong.

"In the mountain's arms  
Held closely by the hills  
A kingdom safe and warm  
Is resting very still  
It's people strong  
Their hearts are well  
I hear their song  
'We never broke, we never fell  
We are the folk of Arendelle'

"Along the water's edge  
Ripples dancing near  
Loyalty is pledged  
To this kingdom standing here  
It's people strong  
Their hearts are well  
I hear their song  
'We never broke, we never fell  
We are the folk of Arendelle'

"The wind howls from the peaks  
Swirling storm inside  
Down till it may reach  
Where the kingdom still resides  
It's people strong  
Their hearts are well  
I hear their song  
'We never broke, we never fell  
We are the folk of Arendelle'

"We never broke, we never fell  
We are the folk of Arendelle"

Our voices rise up into a harmonious chorus. We are the folk of Arendelle.

The song being finished, a blanket of silence falls over the great room.  
My voice tugs this blanket away, "We have all just sang that we will never be a broken nor a fallen people. Arendelle may have had its outer shell pierced into fragments, but we shall not let our core be broken. We will mend our kingdom back to the way it was before.  
"We start this mending right this very moment by mending Anna and Kristoff together in marriage."

The villagers are nodding their approval. I can see something in them that I could not a few minutes ago; hope.

The ceremony progresses in a similar fashion as earlier in the day.  
The individual members of the procession advance down the aisle and take their appropriate places.  
You've already heard the basic concept of this wedding once; I do not wish to bore you.  
All you really need to know is that everything is going according to plan... thus far.

It is now Anna's moment to shine. She is as breathtakingly beautiful as before, clad in the same attire. Although, I do believe we are all more focused on praying that she actually completes her walk than we are focused on her herself.

Walk just a little faster, Anna. This is the most nerve-wracking part because this is where everything fell apart last time.

She makes it to Kristoff. We all simultaneously breathe out a sigh of relief.

This is when we enter into that dull time in every wedding where it's all a bunch of boring talking that nobody cares about (in this case, I'm actually the one talking). As I stated earlier, I do not care to bore you, so I shall spare you the details on this particular part.

"I pronounce you husband and wife." I feel as though we have gotten to a more relevant moment. "You may now kiss the bride."

Kristoff takes Anna into his arms. They share a long, beautiful kiss.

My vision gets blurry, and I know that I have become that soppy big sister.  
My heart is so happy for Anna.  
Yet I do feel something strange as I watch them together.  
Anna has Kristoff. Elsa has... Elsa.

A twinge in my hand shoves me back into reality.


	11. Chapter 11

The reception has now been in full swing for many hours.  
Everyone has been gathered in the ballroom, dancing the night away to lavish melodies, enjoying delectable refreshments, and mingling to one another about the day's events and other such interesting topics.

Originally, the reception was planned to take place in the village square immediately following the ceremony.  
We were going to remove the platform and clear away the seating arrangements.  
It was going to be a simple affair with common village dances, as this was Anna's desire.  
Anna agreed to relocate the reception to the ballroom.  
"Why have a ballroom with no balls?" She reasoned.

I am glad to see that Anna does not seem to be downcast at all with this modification. She seems to be quite enjoying herself, as she has been twirling around with Kristoff, dance after dance.

A young man approaches me shyly and requests a dance.  
I turn him down, politely, as this is what I have done all night whenever the situation arises.  
I do not dance.  
I suppose the most significant reason for this decision is that I do not enjoy the closeness necessary for the performance of the activity.  
Every time I am touched, the coldness emanated from my body is a reminder of the inadequacy that I am to Arendelle.

Kristoff and Anna stumble off of the dance floor together, laughing like children.  
They approach me.  
"Oh, Elsa!" Anna exclaims. "I do believe this is the most wonderful night ever! It's as if it has come completely out of a dream!"  
I smile at her, "I'm happy you are enjoying it."  
"I am!"  
She then jabs her finger in the direction of the refreshment table. "Oh, look! There are-"  
"Sandwiches!" Kristoff finishes.  
They take off together toward the table, laughing once again.

I squirm around in my throne, trying to get comfortable.  
I am becoming restless just sitting here and my hands are hurting once again.  
I admit to procrastinating, as I know that I should be announcing the news of my departure.  
I just need a few more moments.

I rise to my feet, smooth out my skirts, and make my way out of the ballroom.  
Nothing sounds better than a few moments alone.  
I push open the grand door, just a crack, and slip out unnoticed.

Walking down one of the castle's many halls, I am relieved to be in solitude.  
Here, I need not worry about concealing my every move. Here, I may openly display the pain on my face.

My hands shake.  
I slip one of the white gloves from my right hand; what I see leaves me gasping for breath.  
The frost has bitten all of the flesh up into my palm. The skin affected is blue and translucent as if it were actually ice and not skin at all.  
All I can do is stare at it, with eyes wide open. I am horrified beyond words.

"I knew something was up with you." Kristoff's voice comes from behind me.  
I whirl around to face him, my horrified expression still upon my face.  
"Why did you not tell us, Elsa?"  
"I just couldn't." I manage to get out.  
"You need to tell, Anna."  
"I can't!" I find my voice. "Kristoff, you know I can't do that. If I tell Anna, you know as well as I do that there will be nothing that will stop her from coming with me.  
I need you both to stay here to take care of Arendelle."  
Kristoff remains silent, a forlorn look in his eyes.  
"Please, Kristoff?"  
He dips his head solemnly. "Until you shall return."

"If I return."


	12. Chapter 12

No more procrastination.

Kristoff leads me back into the ballroom.  
The reception is almost at its end and I know that I cannot hold my announcement off any longer.  
I think it is safe to say that I am now the perfect example of a "nervous wreck".

Since my people have discovered the secret of my powers (and have seen what kind of destruction they can cause), it is common knowledge that many wish for Anna to be queen of Arendelle.  
I don't blame them; Anna never froze the kingdom.  
However, I do not wish to see the looks of relief when I tell them that I am departing.  
My "grave news" might end up being not so grave.  
Is this understandably upsetting?

"My people," I get their attention. "Everything within me aches to ruin this time of celebration, but I cannot wait any longer.  
Something has come up and I must leave Arendelle for a short while."  
A hush comes over the room.  
"I entrust the kingdom to Princess Anna and Prince Kristoff while I am away. I know that you will be in the best possible hands." I push on. "My heart is heavy to leave, especially at such a time as this, but I am confident in my sister's abilities. Arendelle will be shining again soon; I anticipate my return so that I might see it."

I am surprised to see that many of my people look downcast at this news.  
The ballroom remains silent; you could hear a pin drop.  
However, we do not hear a pin drop; what we hear is a single little girl's voice rise up to fill the room in a familiar lullaby.  
"Our queen is strong,  
Her heart is well,  
I hear her song,  
'We never broke, we never fell  
We are the folk of Arendelle'."

This is probably the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.  
I cannot keep the tears from spilling over.  
I love my people.

The mood of the party shifts back to it's previous lightheartedness.  
A few more dances are accomplished, a few more chocolates consumed, and probably a few more bits of gossip spread around from one to another.  
Nevertheless, it is getting late. The party appears to be winding down.

I draw towards Anna, who is eating something that is most likely slathered in chocolate (she always did quite enjoy chocolate).  
"Anna, I am going up to my bedchamber for the night. Would you excuse me?"  
She swallows hard. "Yes."  
I give her a hug. "I can't express how happy I am for you."  
"I wish you wouldn't leave..." She whispers.  
"I have to." 


	13. Chapter 13

This is a morning of sorrowful goodbyes.

We are all gathered outside by the harbor. By all, I mean, most everyone in Arendelle seems to have come to bid me farewell.

The Gerda is ready to set sail. It stands imposingly to the right of me, swaying gently in the water, as if impatient to begin sailing.  
It is one of the most beautiful ships in all of Arendelle's royal fleet.

I look out over the crowd of people, my people, and I feel uncertainty well up within me.  
How can I leave them? My heart aches to remain.

Coldness pricks itself into my hands, as if many minuscule icicles are poking into my flesh.  
My will is renewed. I must go to the Kingdom On The Top Of The World.

I go forth to give my final goodbyes to my dearest friends.  
I pat Sven's furry head and give him a kiss on his cheek.  
I playfully poke Olaf's carrot nose, careful to avoid contact with his cold, little body. "Be good." I whisper.  
I move on to give my new brother-in-law a quick hug.  
Lastly, Anna and I wrap our arms around each other in an embrace.  
Regretfully, I must pull away.  
"Come back soon." She says quietly.  
"If Fate will have it be so." I reply.

I take a few steps back and wave enthusiastically to my people, many of whom wave back.

Time is of the essence; my crew is undoubtedly ready to hoist the anchor.

I board the ship.

I will not pretend that I know much about anything that is even remotely nautical.  
Many of my ship's crew members are rushing around performing tasks that I do not know the purpose of; I can only assume that whatever it is they are doing is in preparation for our voyage.

Amidst all of the commotion, I almost do not even notice Ember standing inconspicuously by the far railing of the upper deck. He looks out over the expanse of the ocean; mile after mile of clear, blue water.

I approach him.  
"So you didn't run away after all." I startle him out of what I can only assume to have been a very dismal place in his mind.  
"I said I wouldn't." He shrugs, glancing at me vaguely, then returning his focus to the waters.  
"You seem unsettled." I observe.  
"Fire and wood." He says simply. "If I make one wrong move, it will all be over in a matter of minutes."  
I hadn't thought of this. I empathize with him, knowing myself what it feels like to be afraid of my every move.

"Queen Elsa." A rough, masculine voice comes from behind.  
I turn my attention to it.  
Captain Roald stands before me.  
He is one of Arendelle's finest sea captains, not to mention that he had been devoutly loyal to my parents. My innermost wish is that this loyalty will extend itself toward me.  
He grasps my hands with his, perhaps for a second more than necessary. "We are ready to weigh anchor. We have prepared your quarters and I hope you see them fit to your expectations. If ye be needing anything at all, do not hesitate to ask my daughter Hemmin for her services." He looks around as if searching for someone. "I will get her now and have her escort you to your room."  
He motions me to follow him, and I comply.  
"I will have her get you a blanket; your hands are cool." He looks back at me as he walks. "I wouldn't want you to catch a chill, my queen."

Something about the way he says this sends a shiver up my spine.


	14. Chapter 14

Hemmin leads me down a flight of stairs.

She is what many would consider to be "plain". Her light brown hair drapes down her back; it is slightly frizzy, but not so much as to be curly in any way.  
She has beady eyes. Her face is set in a dull expression.  
Even though they look nothing alike, I can't help but relate her to Anna.  
It is probably the homesickness already setting in.  
I hope to become good friends with Hemmin.

She leads me down a dimly lit hallway, not saying a word.  
When we reach a door at the end of the hall, Hemmin holds it open for me and gestures me to enter.  
I comply.  
Upon entering, I discover a cozy, little suite. This is to be my home during the course of the voyage.  
There is a single bed, a table and two chairs. I note that there is a nice sized closet, which is already filled with my belongings.  
This room is also quite dim, save for a few lanterns hung up on the ceiling.

I can't shake the feeling of being trapped under here.

"Is this to your satisfaction, ma'am?" Hemmin's words thud out like ice cubes tumbling onto a stone surface.  
"Of course." I reply. "Hemmin, you may call me Elsa. Since we are to be on this ship together, I should think we will become quite good company."  
She shrugs. "Yes, ma'am."  
"How old are you, Hemmin?" I ask.  
"Fourteen." She answers, bluntly.

I can tell that she has spent a great majority of these years amongst the sailor folk.  
I have not spoken to all that many seamen over the years, but I have spoken to enough to know that this is how they all speak.  
I have a feeling it is going to be hard to get used to.

"We are about to hoist the anchor." Hemmin tells me. "If you start to get sick, I suggest you move to the upper deck... or if you don't want to I'll just come down here and clean it up." She trudges to the door, but she hesitates as if she wishes to say something else.  
"Yes, Hemmin?" I encourage her to speak.  
"Where exactly are we sailing to? My father has only said that we are headed 'North'."

It was advised by Kristoff that the crew not know the details of our voyage.  
"Trust me, when you've been at sea for a while and the crew begins to get restless, you will be relieved that they do not know that they are only chasing a myth." He had reasoned.

"We are sailing North." It is my turn to be blunt.  
"My father doesn't like not knowing where he's sailing to..."  
"I have told your father exactly where he is sailing to." I respond evenly. "North."  
Hemmin shrugs. "Ok..."

She leaves me in my quarters alone.

I feel trapped.


	15. Chapter 15

_I am on a ship; my parents are with me._

_A storm has come upon us._  
_The air is wild and whips into me like frozen spears._  
_The ship is rocking in the waves, completely out of control. I can hardly stand, the ship is tilting so much._  
_I fall to my knees, immediately drenched in the icy waters pooling onto the deck._  
_I try to regain my balance, but it is no use._

_We all look up in horror as we see a wave stretching itself into the sky. It is moving toward us, preparing to feast upon our ship._  
_We are no match for this wave. There is nothing that can be done._  
_"Mother! Father!" I cry out._  
_My cries are lost as the wave engulfs us._

_The water wraps itself around me, cold and cruel._  
_It begins to harden. The water is freezing into ice!_  
_I am helpless as it stiffens around me, piercing it's coldness deep within me._  
_"Mother! Father!" I try to call to them. I just need one more moment with them, but the water has frozen my lips shut._  
_I am forced to watch as they are frozen into statues and pulled into the endless abyss of water below._

I jerk straight up and find myself safe in my quarters.  
I gasp for air.  
_It was just a dream. It was just a dream._  
I hold my arms close to my body, willing them to feel warmth.  
My arms are now frozen up to my elbows; my toes are beginning to freeze, as well.

It is common knowledge that my parent's lives were taken at sea.  
They left on their ship... and they never returned.  
I have been tormented by similar nightmares every night aboard the Gerda.  
I hate being trapped on this ship.

I try to spend my days out on the upper deck as much as possible. I do not feel the sensation of being stuck as much up there in the open.  
I often sit with Ember. He is frequently found on one the railings, his legs dangling down toward the ocean. I assume this is his favorite spot.  
He always has a faraway look in his eyes. He is so distracted that we hardly even talk.  
I still find great contentment sitting near him, letting his warmth radiate toward me.  
I never leave Ember feeling cold.

I spend much time with Hemmin, as well.  
She comes to my room every day and does her mending, usually while telling me stories she has heard over the course of her seafaring life.  
I have come to find that I quite enjoy listening to her tales. They have a charm that is very different from the Arendelle tales told at home.

I offer my assistance to the crew members whenever I feel confident that I can successfully perform the task without being a bigger nuisance to them.  
They do not seem to appreciate my offers.  
Thus far, they have not let me be of aid to them in any way.  
Usually, they just grunt and continue on with their work.

I fall back into my pillows, tucking the covers up to my chin.  
I try to settle back into sleep.

The boards of the ship groan and creak, as if mourning alongside me.

I spend several hours in a restless half-consciousness.

When I am able to fully gather my bearings, I decide that I cannot possibly take one moment longer stuck in this room.

I dress myself; just in a simple dress. No need to worry about elegance here.  
I pull my hair back into a sloppy braid. I rather like styling my hair like this and have been doing it more and more often.  
A fleeting thought flashes through my mind.  
I wonder if Ember likes my hair like this?  
I brush it away.

I push open my door and practically sprint down the hall, up the stairs, and out into the openness of the upper deck.

The sun is just beginning to peak itself out from the blanket of waters. It seems as though it is wondering whether or not it should like to wake up yet.  
Begrudgingly, it edges upward at a snail's pace.

I look out across the deck. It is mostly deserted at this early hour, save a few crew mates who seem to be getting a head start on their various duties for the day.  
I see that Ember has hardly left his favorite spot, but at least had the intelligence to pull himself away from the railing so that he might sleep without tipping right off the boat. He is curled up into a ball on the floor.  
I smile at the sight of him. Just because he looks rather absurd lying there like that, not because of anything at all remotely romantic; so please do not make any such accusations.

I walk across the deck and head inside one of the doors on the opposite side of the great ship, this leads me down another stairway and another hall.  
I can hear a rough and slightly off-key voice wafting towards me. I find it surprisingly satisfying in the most peculiar way.  
I am drawn towards it and find myself peering through a crack in the door of the ship's galley.  
"Anchor we raise, anchor we hoist  
Every sailor has made his choice  
To each his own  
And each be led  
Till ye be bones  
Till ye be dead  
Every man wanting to be free  
Every man drawn to the life of the sea  
Anchor we raise, anchor we hoist  
Ye can't turn back once ye make your choice"

I accidentally push on the door and a loud creaking sound is emitted.  
The singing stops abruptly.

"I know you're there, lassie." The cook growls.  
No sense in hiding. I emerge fully and enter the galley.

I have offered my help to the cook on several occasions during our voyage thus far.  
He has not yet made any move whatsoever in accepting my help.  
He merely grunts and continues on with his work, which generally consists of dicing onions. Why one would ever need so many onions, I will never know.  
I do know that I am capable of chopping onions.

"I really liked your song." I tell him. "It is quite unlike the songs we usually sing in Arendelle."  
He grunts.  
"Do you need any help?" I ask him now.  
He grunts again.  
I stand there for a few moments, watching him slice the vegetables open with his knife. He is completely ignoring me.  
For whatever reason, possibly against my better judgment, I grab one of the knives from his broad collection and begin to dice onions without his consent.  
I note that he pauses his chopping, as if slightly stunned. However, he does not oppose.

"What is your name?" I ask to fill the void.  
"Aksel." He answers bluntly.  
"Nice to meet you, Aksel."  
He grunts.  
"Do you have a family back home?"  
"Aye. A wife and two daughters."  
"It must be hard leaving them behind." I sympathize. "It was hard for me to leave Anna."  
"That's the life of the sea folk." Aksel responds.  
"I could never imagine doing this my whole life." I confide in him. "My parents died on a ship..."  
"Aye." His knife slows. "I was supposed to be on board the Kaia alongside your parents on that trip. At the last moment, my mate Ingvar took my place."  
I put my knife down and look upon him. "I'm so sorry."  
"Aye."

We continue to dice onions together all morning.


	16. Chapter 16

Helping Aksel in the kitchen becomes a regular affair.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that we have become friends. I would hardly even consider us acquaintances.  
He has grown to tolerate my presence in the galley and not much more.

We have been on board the Gerda now for several weeks.  
I can tell that we are sailing farther and father North each day by the frigidness of the wind. The farther North we travel, the more relentlessly cold the air becomes.

Today the sky is drizzling its discontent upon us.  
I opt to stay indoors.  
How I would love to break out of this dark, stuffy room and into the freeness of the upper deck, but it is just too cold for me today.  
Alternatively, I lounge on my bed, sprawled out quite unladylike, though not quite particularly caring.  
The frost has overtaken most of my arms now, not quite reaching my shoulders. It has also come up to my ankles. Walking is becoming a bit of a nuisance.

I allow my mind to wander back to Arendelle.  
I do hope my sister is handling everything all right.  
Taking care of a kingdom is hard work, especially when it has been obliterated into scorched remains.  
The downcast hearts of the people can be the hardest thing to manage of all.  
Anna has her buoyant spirit on her side.  
She most likely has the kingdom singing and dancing by now.  
My heart is heavy that I cannot be with her to experience it.  
I should like to at least have one glance at the product of the reconstruction of Arendelle, just to know that it did indeed rise back to it's former glory.  
Will I ever set eyes upon my homeland again?  
My heart wills it to be so. The frosted ache in my arms dissuades my heart.

I pull my thoughts away from this melancholy path.  
I sing quietly to myself, my voice comes out hardly even audible.  
I find the words to my song to be comforting, as they make me feel as though I am safe and warm, back in Arendelle where the song originated.

A thud comes at my door.  
I already know it is Hemmin, coming to labor over her mending.  
"Come in."  
She does. In one swift movement, she flings open the door, shuts it firmly, and drops into her usual seat at my table.  
She glances at me. "Are you ill?"  
"I'm alright." I manage a weak smile.  
She shrugs and proceeds to work on her mending.

It remains silent in the room for several moments, so I decide to start speaking. I usually have to get Hemmin warmed up before she will tell her stories.  
"I miss Anna immensely." I sigh. "I hope she doesn't become too serious while running the kingdom. I wouldn't want her to change too much and be more dull like me."  
"Change is inevitable." Comes Hemmin's straightforward response. "My Ma always said that change is a good thing, as long as you don't lose yourself along the way."  
I ponder this.  
"She had this song she would always sing to me. Do you wish to hear it?"  
I nod eagerly.

"Change as Fate wills  
Change as should be  
Remain yourself still  
As you reach destiny  
If you find yourself altered  
If you find that you lost  
You stumbled and faltered  
The wrong change you crossed  
Remember who you are  
Who you know you should be  
You never are too far  
To come back to me  
You can revise and reform  
You may rearrange  
Until you transform  
Back to your true self be changed."

Her voice is weak and flat, she sings it in a very straightforward manner. It is very much how I would have imagined Hemmin would sing.

"That's a beautiful song, Hemmin." I tell her once she has finished.  
Hemmin shrugs. She continues on with her mending.  
"If you don't mind me asking..." I say slowly. "What happened to your mother?"  
"She died." I can't imagine how an individual can possibly be so emotionless. "She was aboard the Kaia alongside your parents. She was tending to your mother."  
My heart feels much compassion.  
"Do you know what they say about the Gerda?" She asks suddenly.  
I will her to go on.  
"They say that she is the sister ship of the Kaia." Each word drops from her mouth with a thunk. "This means that they were both made from wood of the same forest. It was said to have been an enchanted forest.  
"The Gerda has been heartbroken ever since her sister was pulled down into the depths of the ocean. Sometimes, I can hear her crying late at night, her boards moaning in agony. She wishes to be with her sister again one day."

"Do you actually hear the ship?" I question, doubtful.  
"Of course." She answers indignantly. "The Gerda wants to be with the Kaia again."

She doesn't say it aloud, but I hear what she doesn't say as if it were actually spoken. "I want to be with my Ma again."


	17. Chapter 17

_The storm is raging, once again._

_I am in my room below deck._  
_The icy water is gushing down the stairs and flooding the hall._  
_It is raging toward my door with determination._

_"Elsa!" I hear the distressed cry of my parents. "Help us, Elsa!"_

_The water breaks down my door, flaunting it's thalassic powers._  
_It comes toward me, reaching out to grip me with it's icy fingers._

_"Elsa!"_

_I am completely helpless. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide._  
_It grabs me. A frigid shock overtakes my entire body._  
_It pins me down in my own bed._

_"Elsa!"_

I come back to reality.  
I flip out of my bed, slamming onto the hard floor below. This sends a terrible stabbing pain through my arms and legs.  
I bite back a cry of misery.

I need to get out of here... now.  
I stumble to my feet.  
I reach for my cloak and wrap it around myself as I stagger out the door.  
Slamming into the walls as I go, I make the familiar route down the hall and up the stairs, out into freedom.

As soon as I emerge onto the upper deck, I am pummeled by a wild breeze.  
It grasps tendrils of my hair and tangles it as it swirls around me.  
I let out a sob of despair.

"Elsa?" I hear Ember's whisper.

I can make out his figure in the moonlight. He is in his usual spot on the railing.  
I walk quietly to him and take my place next to him, swinging my legs over the railing and allowing them to hang over the waters.  
I admit to you that sitting here like this makes me vastly uncomfortable. I find solace in knowing that if I lose my balance, Ember will surely catch me.

"Are you alright, Elsa?" His eyes burn into me with concern.  
"Yes."  
He tilts his head slightly, not buying my answer, yet he does not push on.  
"Why are you not in your quarters?" I ask him.  
"Quarters? They gave me a hammock in the berthing area." He laughs dryly. "I would much rather be out here in the open, with the cool air and water surrounding me."

I cannot help but tremble in the coolness of the night.  
Ember notices this.  
"You are cold, Elsa." He takes off his cloak and sets it upon my shoulders.  
I find it's warmth to be welcoming and I savor the fragrance of burnt pine.  
"Thank you." I whisper.

The sound of the sea rises into our ears, demanding our attention. The waves roll across the horizon, like a little puppy showing off a new trick.  
We watch and listen, allowing a familiar silence to settle between us.  
After a moment, I break this silence.

"Do you have so little control of it, Ember?"  
"Of what?" Of course he knows what.  
"The fire."  
His hangs his head. It seems as if he is battling something very dark within himself.  
"I have not told you everything, Elsa."  
I remain quiet, allowing him to speak if he wishes to.  
He does.

"I told you that I was from a faraway kingdom, but I did not reveal to you that I was actually the prince of that realm.  
"Being that I was the firstborn son, the kingdom was to be mine one day.  
I spent many years trying to conceal my powers. I tried so hard.  
Because of this, I came across as distant, incapable, and otherwise disinterested in the people.  
Many wished my little sister Ida would succeed to the throne. I would have given her my place in line in a heartbeat. She would have made a great ruler; much more than I could have ever been.  
"One day, I overheard my parents talking about me, referring to me as their 'problem'. They said I was inadequate, incompetent, useless... my own parents." His words shake. "I lost control. I ran through the castle as fast as I could, but I could not contain the fire. It wouldn't stop. It just kept burning, going everywhere.  
"Ida tried to get me to calm down. She tried to help me. All she did was touch my shoulder, just barely. She disintegrated before my eyes.  
My parents saw this, also. They were horrified. They called me 'monster'.  
They chased me out of the kingdom with armed men, banishing me from my own home.  
I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Everything burned as I ran away."

Ember's voice breaks. "I killed my own sister."

My mind flashes back to two different times in my life when I myself had hurt Anna with my powers.  
I usually try not to think about it.  
However, I think about it now and I feel great remorse throbbing in my heart.

Anna almost died because of me. I cannot possibly imagine what it would be like if it had actually happened.

I wipe the haunting memories away.

All that is within me wishes to tell Ember everything.  
I yearn to tell him about my powers, to tell him that he is not nearly as alone as I know he feels.  
I want so much just to tell him... but at last I cannot.  
He is burdened with so much already, it would be unfair to add my own baggage to the weight he already carries.

My body trembles in the bitter cold. I cradle my arms close to me, clinging to Ember's cloak.  
"You should go back inside where it is warm." Ember says softly. "I will escort you back to your room."  
He swings his legs around and jumps back to the solid floor of the deck. I try to do this as well, but it looks significantly less graceful.  
Once we are both standing on the firm boards of the Gerda, he takes me back to my room.

"Quite confined in here, isn't it?" He observes, referring to the small hallway.  
"I always feel so trapped down here." I concur.  
We reach my door.  
"This is yours." I hold out his cloak for him.  
He grasps it in his hands. "Sleep well, Elsa."  
With that, he turns away and disappears back down the hall.  
I feel warmth within me.

Sleep comes surprisingly easy.

I manage to get a few more hours in before it is time to join Aksel in the galley.  
He has a rather large pile if turnips prepared for me to cut into pieces.  
"Turnips today?" I inquire.  
He grunts.  
I take the knife in my hand and begin my work.  
It doesn't take me long to realize that I am struggling quite considerably with my task today.  
The numbness in my hand hinders my skill with the knife. I cannot feel it being grasped between my fingers.  
I attempt to slice a turnip in half, but it slips out from under my knife.  
The blade slides out of my hand and onto the floor.

"Perhaps you should sit out today, Lassie."  
Aksel has noticed my abilities regress with each passing day. I know he has.  
I nod sadly and take a seat.

The entirety of both my arms and my legs have been overtaken by the ice.  
Conceal. Don't feel.

I spend the morning listening to him tell tales about his mate Ingvar.

After the morning has passed, I take to my suite and lounge around.  
I feel much pain in my body.  
Hemmin enters my room, not even bothering to knock anymore.  
It catches me off guard, but at least she feels comfortable around me.

"We are about to dock in the port of Inuitia." She says this with no enthusiasm.  
She plops herself into her customary chair. "Just long enough for some supplies. I suggest you go out and walk around a little... if you think you can." She glances over to where I am sprawled out in bed, aching like you wouldn't believe.  
"I can manage." I smile weakly.

A hush comes between us. Hemmin is mending like she always does, and I am staring up at the ceiling; I come to find that I spend much time doing this anymore.

"The crew is getting restless, ma'am." Hemmin's warning thuds out into the room. "I really do recommend we turn back to Arendelle. Inuitia is the last kingdom we will pass if we continue on North. The crew won't be happy if you will them to sail onward."  
"Thank you, Hemmin."  
An irritated look flashes in her eyes. She says no more on this topic, allowing her focus to return to her chore.

"You seem to spend much time with Ember." She switches subjects on me.  
I have nothing to say to this.  
"I saw you with him last night."  
I do have something to say to this, however.  
"You were spying on me, Hemmin?" It comes out more accusative than I had intended.  
"No." Just like snowballs crashing into their target. "I was not. I just happened to be awake. I saw you with him. That's all."  
"He is a friend."  
She grunts.

"Bring her in, boys!" I can hear the excitement erupting above us on the upper deck.  
I know we are readying the ship to land.  
I leave Hemmin to her work and race out of my room so that I might see what this strange kingdom looks like.

A wall of menacingly frigid air nearly plows me over as I come out onto the upper deck.  
I regain my balance, only to find myself losing it again at the sight of what I can only assume is Inuitia.

Inuitia is a kingdom made entirely out of snow.


	18. Chapter 18

I bundle myself in as many layers as I can manage.

"Do you wish to come walk around with me, Hemmin?"  
She is still at my table, laboring over her mending.  
"Go on without me, ma'am." She replies, monotonously. "I have work to tend to."  
"Surely that can wait until later." I reason.  
"No." She thuds. "I have work."

She has made up her mind. No sense in wasting any more time arguing.  
I head out of my room and back into the raging cold of the outside world.  
The ship is alive and everyone is bustling around doing their various tasks.  
I make my way through the chaos and manage to get across the gangway without being knocked into the icy waters of the ocean.

Save a few of my crew members, the docks of the port are practically abandoned.  
I suppose the villagers of this frigid land are intelligent enough to stay warm inside their dwellings... but perhaps not intelligent enough to make their dwellings out of something other than snow.

I continue down the docks until I reach the snowy terrain. There is now a walkway that I assume will lead me to the heart of the town. I follow this path.

I have been walking long enough so that the Gerda is merely a speck in the distance behind me.  
I have hardly seen but a few of the Inuits.  
They are much more intelligent than I originally gave them credit for.  
They have devised very cozy-looking garb that covers the entirety of their bodies.  
I admit to being slightly envious, for they seem much more cleverly outfitted for this climate than I.

"Mind if I join you?" Ember appears at my side.  
I can't help but smile at his presence. "Not at all."  
We walk in silence for quite a ways.  
"I have been told that the crew is getting restless." I confide in him.  
"Yes, they are." He answers.  
"Have you noticed?" I inquire.  
"Most certainly."

I try to keep my body from shaking in the cold.  
Conceal. Don't feel.  
I just need to keep myself going a little bit longer.  
We will be at the top of the world soon.

"We'll make it, Ember." I am assuring him as much as I am assuring myself. "We'll make it to the Kingdom On The Top Of The World."  
He grunts.  
"If you'll excuse me, Your Highness, I should be getting back to the ship."  
I feel disappointed and slightly confused by his brisk departure, but I do not question.  
He turns away and heads back in the direction of the Gerda.

I feel despair well up within me as something dawns upon me.  
This is the first time Ember has ever left me still feeling cold.  
Have I become so sick that I cannot even feel Ember's warmth anymore?

I try to brush aside all of the confusion.  
I explore this peculiar kingdom of Inuitia. I wander around the frozen village, allowing myself fresh air and time to stretch out my legs on solid ground.  
I am not able to communicate with any of the Inuits, however, since they seem to speak an entirely different language. I find this out very quickly.

I enter into what I assume is a store. It is a store made of nothing but ice, nevertheless, it is still indeed a store.  
An old woman greets me; or I reckon she is greeting me because she smiles warmly. I do not understand anything she speaks.  
I allow my eyes to wander over the shelves, which seem to be made out of frozen blocks.  
Kristoff would love this place.  
I see jars of seaweed, bags of tubers, and hunks of some sort of mystery meat.

The old woman draws my attention over to a corner of her store which has several racks of Inuit garments. They all look so gloriously warm.

"I have no money." I try to tell her, for my Arendelle currency is of no use to the Inuits.  
She does not seem to grasp the meaning of my words. She presents a pair of magnificent Inuit gloves to me and wills me to put them on.

I admit that I can't resist how snug they look.  
I slip them on over my Arendelle gloves. They feel fantastic beyond words.  
I let the warmth radiate over my frozen fingers. I let out a sigh of contentment.  
The Inuits most definitely know what they are doing.  
At last, I cannot keep the gloves. I regretfully remove them from my hands, accidentally taking off my Arendelle gloves along with them, revealing my translucent, blue flesh.

The Inuit woman's eyes widen upon seeing my hands.  
She immediately starts talking, releasing a long strand of words that I cannot grab onto. She gestures wildly. I feel as though she is trying to tell me something important, but I cannot understand what it is. _"Ikkuma! Ikkuma!"_  
I think she is beginning to realize that I cannot grasp her words.  
She looks at me sadly.  
The Inuit woman takes both pairs of gloves into her hands and gives them to me, with a pleading look in her eyes.  
She wants me to have the gloves, I believe.

"Thank you." I tell her, pulling them back onto my hands.  
She grasps my hands in hers and looks deeply into my eyes. I can see desperation. I want so much to know what she is telling me.  
_"Ikkuma."_

I leave the store not knowing.

I should be heading back to the Gerda now. I have been gone for quite a while and I wouldn't want to keep my crew waiting, should they be done with their business already.

Upon boarding the ship, I see that Ember has found his favorite spot yet again.  
He sits with his body facing the strange ice kingdom. He has a deep expression on his face, as if he is looking into one of the many secrets of the world.

"How do you like Inuitia?" I ask him.  
I note that his gray eyes light up when I approach him.  
"It seems to be quite interesting... from afar." He responds.

"Queen Elsa." Captain Roald strides to me. He holds himself as if he owns the Gerda (Technically, he does, being that he is the captain).  
"Yes, Captain?" I turn my full attention to him.  
"Shall I give my crew the signal to hoist anchor and return to Arendelle?"  
"No, Captain." My voice is firm. "You may hoist anchor and continue sailing North."  
"But, my queen-"  
"I have given my orders."

I see something flicker in his eyes, something that very much scares me.


	19. Chapter 19

The Gerda is once again coursing over the vast ocean.  
She glides through the water as though she is a knife cutting through the water's seams.  
Her bowsprit points North, as if she is pointing and declaring to all the crew, "This way! I know this is the way we need to be sailing!"

We have been on the boat since departing from Arendelle, which was quite some time ago.  
Time seems to blend together so it is rather hard for me to say for sure, but I would guess that it has been a couple of months.  
Since setting off from Inuitia, however, a strange new atmosphere has come over the ship.  
Something seems to lurk in the shadows, something dark and ominous. What this something is I know not. I can merely feel uncertainty churning within me.

The crew seems to have become much more unpleasant than usual. They have a coldness in their eyes that wasn't there before; or if it was I was not aware of it until now.

I am becoming weaker and weaker with each passing day, as my cells are freezing one by one with every passing second.  
I often find myself in my room hardly able to do much more than lie on my bed.  
I still try to build up enough energy to walk around on the upper deck as much as I can. I worry because the outside air is becoming too unbearable for me.

Hemmin maintains our story-telling routine.  
I am very grateful for this. I enjoy listening to her as her stories take me to places I can no longer go myself. Admittedly, I do wish that she wouldn't tell her tales quite so emotionlessly. They would be breathtaking if they were told in a voice that matched the beauty of the story.  
Nevertheless, as I have already stated, I am grateful.

I sit myself up from my reclined position. I do this very slowly and very carefully, as my body is fragile.  
I manage to get to my feet. I take a cautious step. It feels as though I am walking on a path of icicles.  
I walk along this path to my door and out to the upper deck, each step piercing through me.

Conceal. Don't feel.

Upon reaching the upper deck, I see that Ember is pacing in solitude at one of the far sides of the Gerda.  
I go to him, slow and steady.  
He stops pacing as he becomes aware of my presence.

"I have not seen you for quite some time."  
"I've been in my room." I don't give any further explanation.  
"Something seems off." He comes closer and whispers this to me, so as not to be overheard. "Do you feel it, too?"  
"Yes."  
He tilts his head in the direction of two crew mates nearby. They seem to be murmuring to each other, although I cannot make out any specific words. I take note that they occasionally look my way; this gives me reason to think that I am the subject of their conversation.

"Perhaps we should have stayed behind in Inuitia." I sigh. "They could've sailed back to Arendelle without us and we could've tried getting an Inuit ship to take us to the top of the world."  
"I couldn't have gone to Inuitia with you." He replies. "The whole kingdom would've been nothing but a puddle of water."

I feel confusion starting to creep back into me.

"It doesn't matter now anyway." Ember goes on. "We are on the Gerda and we must worry about the difficulties right in front of us."  
He looks into my eyes. "Elsa, be careful."  
He turns and walks away.  
I feel a familiar warmth within me.  
Somehow, this warmth makes me feel much colder.

Ember had been in Inuitia. He had walked right alongside me. I know for a fact that he had. I am not going crazy... I couldn't be.  
But if Ember had actually been with me, why did he say that he hadn't?  
Why did I feel cold when he left me then, but warmth now?

There are far too many questions that I do not have the answers to.  
I would love to tell you that I have the energy to keep pondering this mystery, but I honestly don't.  
I feel exhaustion grip me and I know that I must retire back to my room.

I take a few industrious steps back across the upper deck.  
One of the crew mates on swabbing duty knock into me. Something about the look in his eye tells me that it wasn't an accident.  
He grunts.  
"Excuse me." I say, trying to be polite. I sidestep around him and continue on toward my room.

As soon as I reach my suite, I stumble inside and onto my bed.  
I fall into my pillows.  
I stay here for a great deal of time, my body moaning in anguish.  
My mind wanders off into a place of delusion.  
This place is twisted and confused.  
It plays around in my mind, as if it were merely a child tangling pieces of sewing string into a matted mess.  
The delirium takes me back to my old bedchamber in Arendelle.

Knock. Knock.  
"Elsa?"  
It is Anna's voice; it seems so very far away, yet so very near.  
"Please, I know you're out there  
I have been wondering where you've been  
You said, 'let me go', and I let you go  
I want you to come home, please don't give in  
I hope that you remember, that I'm waiting here  
I pray that you would know  
That I want to build a snowman."

I would give anything to build a snowman with you, Anna, but it is just too cold.


	20. Chapter 20

_"Ikkuma! Ikkuma!" The Inuit woman is with me._

_I don't know what you are trying to tell me. I'm so, so sorry. I do not know._

_She leads me through the ice palace of Inuitia. She is practically carrying me, as I can hardly keep myself on my feet._  
_It seems as though the castle is a giant maze constructed of ice._  
_I would have already been lost had she not been with me, directing our course._  
_I trust her every move._  
_At each fork in our path, I trust her judgment unconditionally._

_"Ikkuma!"_

_We take an abrupt turn to the right, then another immediately to the left._  
_My feet slide all over the frozen floor, but the Inuit holds me steady._

_I hear an alarming cracking sound above me._  
_Icicles are breaking loose from the ceiling. They plummet to the floor, cracking holes into the ground. I pray that we don't become the icicles' next target._  
_The Inuit woman skillfully zigzags around the falling objects._

_"Ikkuma!"_

_She increases her speed, continuing to dodge the icicles._  
_I stumble, but she doesn't miss a beat. She clings onto me tighter still and barrels on ahead; a woman on a mission._

_Left. Right. Left. Left. Right. Left._

_We come to a great gap in the ground. The drop extends as far as the eye can see; an endless abyss of dark nothingness._  
_There is no way around. We must jump._  
_The Inuit woman ensures that her hold on me is secure. She backs up, preparing for a running jump._  
_A wolf comes, from out of nowhere, and takes us upon it's back._  
_It darts toward the gap without hesitation. It dashes across on thin air. It's as though there is some sort of invisible bridge guiding it's way._  
_Once safely on the other side of this great crevice, the wolf allows us to dismount._  
_The Inuit woman bows solemnly to the creature._

_We have no time to waste, the woman takes hold of me again and proceeds on our journey to wherever it is she thinks it is so important to get me._

_Right. Left. Left. Right. Left._

_We emerge into a large, circular room. A cloaked figure is on their knees in the dead center of this room._  
_I gasp for breath, nearly falling to the floor myself if it were not for the Inuit's support._

_"Ikkuma! Ikkuma!"_

_The cloaked figure looks up._  
_Could it be?_  
_It is Ember._

_This is when I notice that the room is melting, and rather fast._  
_The ice is becoming a sludgy mess. The ceiling is going to cave in on top of Ember!_  
_I have to save him! I have to get him out!_  
_I try to take a step toward him, but my feet feel like led. I look down to see that they are cubes of ice, frozen to the floor._  
_"Ember!" I cry out._  
_In desperation, I turn to the Inuit woman, who is disappearing before my eyes._  
_"Ikkuma!" Her body fades until it is no more._  
_She can't help me._  
_"Ember!" I scream again. "You have to get out!"_  
_His smoky eyes stare into mine. "Only you can help me, Elsa."_

_The room caves in on top of him right after my whole body freezes solid._

"EMBER!" I scream this with everything that I am.  
I am shaken out of my nightmare and I find myself sitting upright in my bed.  
I wonder if my screams were audible or not.  
However, I do not have much time to ponder this.

Ember bursts into my room.  
"Elsa!" He yells. "They're coming! They're coming, Elsa!"  
His hands are flaming. His eyes are wild.  
"Calm down." I tell him, reaching out to touch his shoulder.  
He jerks away, singeing the wall behind him.  
"Ember, you're going to set us all on fire." I say, soothingly. "Calm down."  
He falls to the floor and buries his head into his hands. "Conceal. Don't feel." He murmurs under his rugged breath.  
I slide down to the floor next to him. "What is wrong, Ember?"  
"I heard them talking." He chokes.

He has no time to say any more.  
Three crew mates storm into my room.  
Two of them grab on to Ember, one of them comes after me.  
I am jerked to my feet.  
"Let go of me!" I cry as I feel rope scraping over my icy wrists.  
"Elsa!" A blast of fire rises up.  
"Keep calm." I tell Ember. "It will be alright."  
They tie both of us up.  
Ember continues to mumble his chant to himself. I can tell that it is taking everything in him not to torch the whole ship.  
I hate watching him suffer.

We are led out of the small room and on to the upper deck.  
A crowd has gathered here; this must be every member of the crew.  
Captain Roald appears before me, a sinister smile on his face.  
I can read his eyes as clearly as one can read a book. They say, "You lost, I won."  
I am infuriated. I would like nothing less than to freeze the life out of him. I immediately feel shame upon thinking this.

"My Queen," He says the title mockingly. "It's so nice of you to join us."  
"My pleasure." I spit out.  
"Now don't be sassy." He sounds as though he is scolding a child for wrongdoing. "It isn't becoming for someone of your stature."

I can still hear Ember muttering to himself, willing his powers to remain in check.  
"Conceal. Don't feel."


	21. Chapter 21

"I have been telling you all the very same thing time and time again for the past several months.  
We all know what I have said is true. Queen Elsa is not the most suitable choice for our kingdom. I know that you all agree with me.  
Princess Anna should be on the throne. It is her destiny." Captain Roald booms out over the deck. "Do not let a guilty conscience get in the way. You are sailors: you have no conscience! This is the best choice for all of Arendelle."  
Crew members are vigorously nodding their approval.  
"I say we carry out my plan. I will not have my ship sailing after nothing until we all die.  
If Queen Elsa really cares about you, would she not wish us to return to Arendelle safely? Would it not be in our best interest to sail home? Instead she demands that we keep sailing North!"  
A couple of outraged cries break out.  
"In the name of Arendelle, I demand that we let the ocean take our queen as it's burden!"  
Someone yells out, "And her fiery friend, too!"  
"Death to the witches!" Another demands.

"Conceal. Don't feel. Conceal. Don't feel." Ember is muttering desperately to himself.

So this is it; we have come all this way only to be thrown over the edge of the Gerda to be swallowed for lunch by the great ocean. Is this how Fate has chosen it to be?  
My own people wish my death. This brings devastation into my soul.

"All in favor of disposing of our queen," Captain Roald announces. "Say 'aye'!"  
Many "aye's" passionately rise up from the crowd of people. With each individual one, I feel a stab of remorse pierce through my heart.

"You heard them!" Captain Roald yells out to the mates restraining Ember and I. "We shall not waste a moment longer. Throw them overboard! We want to return home!"

I am dragged to the edge of the Gerda, I want to resist, but my body is too tired. I am helpless to do anything but follow.

I notice that Ember's chanting has gotten much louder, which leads me to think that he is losing grip on his powers. His face is twisted into a painful expression, I notice that his hair is wet and sweaty. His brow is beaded.

Captain Roald advances toward me, coming within mere inches of my face. I can smell the stench on his breath.  
"I have been waiting for this moment for a very, very long time, my queen."  
I glare at him.  
"Dispose of them!" He orders.

"Conceal. Don't feel!" Ember's voice is panicked.

"WAIT!"

Time stops.  
The crew mates holding onto Ember and I pause, stupidly.  
Captain Roald's face is set in a dumbfounded expression.  
The entire crew is hushed.

Hemmin pushes through the crowd of sailors and toward the edge of the Gerda where Ember and I are about to become shark food.

"Stop." It thuds out onto the upper deck.

"Hemmin?" Captain Roald manages to get this one word out.  
"I ask that you release Elsa, father." It is a demand, not a request.  
"That isn't possible, Hemmin-"  
"Hear me out." She addresses the entire crew of the Gerda. "Ever since we left Arendelle several months ago, all I have ever heard any of you talk about is how you think that Princess Anna should be ruler of Arendelle.  
But, never have any of you been able to say a single bad thing of Elsa.  
Do you know why this is? It is because she has warmed your hearts and you know it. You are afraid to admit it, but you know this is why you have hesitated to carry out your plan for so long.  
"Before you dispose of Arendelle's queen, I ask that you think this through logically first.  
You have not seen any proof that Princess Anna is actually a good ruler. For all you know, the kingdom might have totally fallen apart during our absence.  
Does it make sense to you to get rid of a perfectly good ruler when all you have against her is a mere belief that someone else could do the job better?"

Silence is met with Hemmin's moving speech. Perhaps I am the only one that finds it moving, nevertheless, there is still silence.

"I propose that you allow Elsa to return to Arendelle. Let all of the people of Arendelle choose who is to be their queen. Do not choose for them."  
She looks intimidatingly over the crew. "What do you say? All in favor... say 'aye'!"

Silence.

My heart was hopeful, but with this silence brings much doubt.  
They are not going to be deterred. They are going to continue with their plan.

"Aye." Aksel steps forward. I can't help but let the biggest smile cross my face.  
With this move, a few others scattered around the deck let their 'aye's' be heard.  
More and more mates are seconding this new motion, until almost everyone has come to an agreement.

Captain Roald looks greatly displeased.

"The crew wishes she return to Arendelle, Father." She thuds at him.  
"I see." He growls. "Then return to Arendelle she shall."  
"Release her, boys." Hemmin thuds her command to the mates still holding on to Ember and I.  
They unbound the rope from our wrists.

"Come on, Elsa." Hemmin guides me back down to my room.  
Once inside, I wrap my arms around her in an enthusiastic hug.  
"Thank you, Hemmin!" I exclaim fervently. "You're a true friend!"  
I feel her body grow stiff beneath my fingers. She pushes me away.

Her eyes bare into me, hard and cold.  
"I am not your friend."

"I don't understand..." I say, my voice hardly audible.

"It wasn't out of charity that I saved your guts out there." She sneers. "I have my own motives for keeping you alive."  
I say nothing. Really, what would you say to that?  
"You see, Elsa," Her thuds bounce off the floor, with a cruelness to them. "I promise that you will return to Arendelle... but I will do it for you."

Hemmin's body changes before my eyes. Her dull, brown hair is lightening so that it is so blonde, it is nearly white. Her skin becomes porcelain and clear. She becomes much taller, much thinner, and much more regal. Her beady eyes morph into the color of the very sea we have been sailing on for months.  
When this transformation is fulfilled, I find myself staring back at... myself.

Hemmin is a shapeshifter!


	22. Chapter 22

My new lookalike stands before me. If looks could kill, surely these blue eyes would have terminated me ten times over.

Hemmin's laugh thuds from her lips to the wood floor of the Gerda. It is probably the most malicious thud I have ever heard. I suppose I never imagined a thud could ever be characterized by anything even remotely malicious.

"You're never going to see the Kingdom On The Top Of The World, I can promise you that." She sneers. "Of course, if it makes you feel any better, it never even existed anyway."  
"How did you know..." I gasp. I am completely at a loss for words from all these new developments that this is the only thing I can say.  
The only one on this ship that knew the true destination of our voyage was Ember... how could Hemmin possibly know this?  
"Don't be daft, Elsa." She responds with a bored expression. "You told me."  
"I didn't..."  
No wait... something clicks inside my exhausted brain.  
That day in Inuitia.  
I spoke briefly with Ember that day and he left in a hurry.  
It was the same day that he left me feeling cold. I know why now... it was because that wasn't Ember at all! It was Hemmin!

"Ah, have you figured it out?" Hemmin laughs. "It took you long enough."  
"What are you going to do with me then?" I inquire. "There can't be two Elsa's in Arendelle."  
"There can't?" She feigns shock. "How unfortunate."  
"Well?"  
"I might have to dispose of you myself." Something dark flashes in her eyes... my eyes. "It will have to be a secret affair, however. I wouldn't want anyone knowing that poor, poor Elsa was in a tragic accident, being that I intend to convince everyone that I'm the real Elsa."  
She takes a step toward me. I fling myself away from her, knocking into my bedpost and falling to the ground. My sleeve catches on the post, exposing my frostbitten flesh.

"Oh my." Hemmin thuds; her blue eyes widening at the sight of my frozen skin. "Well, well my dear Elsa, have you been hiding secrets from me?" She clicks her tongue, disapprovingly.  
I yank the cloth of my sleeve back down to cover my wrist. I curl my legs up to my stomach and wrap my arms around them.  
"This is why you were seeking out that myth of yours, wasn't it?"  
I nod.  
"You're so foolish." She laughs. "So what is it? Your body is going to keep freezing itself until you're nothing but an ice sculpture?"  
I nod again.  
"Isn't that quite ironic?" Hemmin remarks. "That the Snow Queen's undoing is her own power."  
"I do believe I can use this to my advantage." She goes on. "I'd rather like to have a sculpture of myself for my new palace; it would be the perfect decor."

"You can't do this!" This is a pointless statement, of course. I am incapable of stopping her.  
"Can I not, Elsa?" Hemmin challenges me. "I think I can."

I believe I have officially reached a low point in my life as I am tied up by myself... or at least by a shapeshifter in my form.  
She stuffs me away in my closet (a rather original hiding spot, I know).  
To prove how much in control she actually is, she takes her authority to a new level by dumping piles and piles of ice around me. This is courtesy of the ship's galley... which she stole from to get the ice.

Hemmin looks down upon me with a pleased look. She seems to approve of her handiwork.  
"Now back to Arendelle." She says, more to herself than to me.  
She turns on her heel and heads out of my room in her newly acquired form.  
"Captain Roald!" I can hear her shouting. "Turn the Gerda back South! I wish to return to Arendelle immediately!"

I feel despair.  
I also feel rather cold.

I stay this way for quite some time; trapped in the closet of my little suite on the great ship Gerda.  
I can feel the remaining healthy cells of my body being chewed into frozen particles.

After a while, although I have no further knowledge of how long exactly "a while" is, I hear two people enter into my room. I am able to distinguish that it is the other "Elsa" and Ember.

"I don't understand, Elsa." Ember's voice resonates to my ears. "We have come all this way! Why are we turning back now?"  
"I want to go home." I hear my own voice come out in thuds.  
"We were so close!" He cries.  
I can imagine the look on his face, the shadows in his eyes. He doesn't understand. I want so much to make him understand.  
My mouth will not allow me to utter a single word.  
I am so very, very cold.  
"Go away from me." I hear harshness in the other Elsa's voice. "And don't you dare set my ship on fire."

He is speechless. No sound is made for several moments. I can practically see Ember's eyes searing into me.  
At last, footsteps thunk out the door, which slams shut.

Ember, you must understand! That wasn't me! I'm trapped in here... please, help me.

Time ticks on. Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.  
With each passing second, I can feel myself slipping away more and more, farther and farther into a land where time stands still.

"Just get to the water." A voice reaches out to me from out of nowhere. It is a masculine voice, yet soft and almost a touch too high in pitch.

What? Who's there?

"The water." The voice echoes. "I can't save you unless you get to the water."

The water.

I black out.

_The sparkling waters of the sea  
Wraps it's chill arms tight around me  
'Come dance, come play  
Come follow this way  
Come here, come please  
To the land of the seas  
Never returning  
Never regretting  
Cool waters churning  
Sun never setting  
Come dance, come play  
Come follow this way'  
The sparkling waters of the sea  
Wraps it's chill arms tight around me  
I give in to temptation  
To the water's negotiation  
I dive on under  
To the land of the sea  
Sometimes I wonder  
If I would have been free  
If I hadn't gone to the land of the sea.  
_


	23. Chapter 23

_I dream of a land where time stands still._

_It is cold. It is frozen._  
_I find myself traveling through the mountains in an unrelenting blizzard._

_"Please stop!" I cry out to the clouds above. I stumble with each step, as I am trudging along through deep, deep snow._

_"It is not my choice." The blizzard responds._  
_"It must be." I argue. "You're the one that is making it snow!"_  
_"I'm afraid not." The blizzard's voice floats down toward me from the dreary gray clouds. "The storm is inside of you."_

_I continue to fight the storm, willing myself to reach the top of this incline._  
_Upon reaching the top, I discover that Arendelle is only a short distance away._  
_It looks as it did the day I departed._  
_Buildings still lie in piles of rubble, surrounding the castle._  
_There are many scorched houses with their walls blackened, only half standing._

_I will myself to run towards my home. My pace, of course, is not at all faster than the pace I was previously going, but at least I'm trying to put forth effort._  
_I must get there. I must._

_I wonder what Anna is doing? I wonder how she and Kristoff have been? I hope Olaf has been doing well. I hope all of my people have been doing well._  
_My heart beats fast with anticipation. I am exhausted beyond words, but I am determined to reach my home._

_"It is useless." The blizzard tells me._  
_"I must see them." I choke out, breathless from exertion._  
_"You will not like what you find." He warns._  
_I ignore the blizzard, or rather I try to ignore him as much as I can. It is hard to fully ignore him when he is pelting snow into my eyes._

_I reach the cobblestone path that will lead me through the gates and into the heart of the palace._  
_The gates are wide open. Of course, Anna would never have closed them._  
_It feels like a dream. Actually, it is a dream, but you know what I mean._  
_I follow the path into my old home._

_The blizzard was right. I do not like what I see._

_Everyone is frozen._

_No, I do not intend to say that everyone has become ice sculptures. They just seem to be stuck in time, as if Fate hit the 'pause' button._

_They are all gathered in the ballroom, just like they had in one of my very last memories of them._  
_Kristoff and Anna are dancing... or they were. They are caught in the middle of a graceful twirl._  
_Olaf is by the refreshment table, about to take a bite of a snow cone. I would've laughed at the sight had it been under different circumstances._  
_Various village girls are gathered in a circle at the edge of the dance floor. They are stuck in a moment of laughter, most likely the result of some entertaining village gossip._  
_Everyone is like this... simply frozen._

_"Why are they like this?" I demand._  
_"I did warn you..."_  
_"Why are they like this!" I yell, losing my tempter. "Why are they frozen?"_  
_"It isn't them." The blizzard answers. "They are all going about their lives just fine."_  
_"I don't understand..."_  
_"It is you." He explains. "You cannot see them move, because you are caught in a land where time stands still."_  
_"No!" I cry. "No, I want to go home!"_  
_"Calm yourself." The blizzard speaks, his voice surprisingly soft, like falling into a pile of snow. "You still have a little more time. Make haste, Queen Elsa. Time is running short."_

I open my eyes.  
I am still trapped in my closet.  
I am still alone. No wait, not completely alone.  
In the midst of my foggy mind, I can hear that someone has come into my suite.  
My first assumption is that it is only Hemmin, but I can make out thumping noises as if someone is shuffling around in the drawers, as if someone is searching for something, as if someone is searching for clues for something.  
Somehow, I know in my heart that this is Ember.  
He must know that something is amiss. He must have realized when he had spoken to this other "Elsa" that something was terribly wrong. Ember knows me well enough to have figured this out.  
I need to call out his name. I just need to say one simple word.  
If I do this, he can save me. He can save both of us.  
I try to open my lips. Why is something so simple so very hard?

Ember.

Ember, please.

My lips crack open, just the slightest bit. A hoarse whisper escapes.  
"Ember."

The shuffling stops.

I can hear cautious footsteps nearing the closet. The door is opened; a dim light pokes in from my suite into my half-opened eyes.

"Elsa?" Ember gasps. "Elsa!"  
I can only smile at him.  
"Elsa, your face is blue. You're ill." Is that panic I hear in his voice?

"Elsa?" He repeats. "Elsa, say something!"

The water. We need to get to the water.

He reaches out to touch my face, but jerks his hand back before making contact.  
Through the fog in my mind, I can almost see fear in his eyes. Is he afraid to lose me?

"Water." I croak out.

"Water..." He trails off. He has no idea what I'm tying to tell him.

"Get to the water." It takes all that is in me to get these simple words out.

"How?" He seems to be staring at his own hands. He is afraid to touch me.

"Carry." I breathe. "Me."

"I can't, Elsa!" He cries out. Fear is in his voice as much as it is in his eyes.

"Please." I can't say any more. I can't do it. My body will not allow it.

He looks from his hands, to my face, and back to his hands.  
Through the fog, I can see the fear in his eyes become a fiery determination.  
He reaches out for me.  
His hands make contact with my body.

This is the first time Ember has firmly touched me. He did touch me one other time, back in the palace all that time ago, but that was only for mere seconds.  
This is completely different, yet so very much the same.  
It feels as though there are fireworks going off inside my body, exploding into warmth.  
It feels beautiful. It feels right.

He picks me up and holds me against his chest.

I admit that I do not know many details of what happen during these few moments that he carries me. I can vaguely see that he takes me out of my room, down the hall, and to the upper deck.  
My main focus is on the heat.  
I listen to his heartbeat, his breathing.  
I never thought fire could be so irresistibly wonderful.

"Are you sure about this?" I hear his voice closer than it has ever been before. It is deep, rough, and mesmerizing.  
We must be on the upper deck now. We must be nearing the edge of the Gerda.  
"I trust you, Elsa." He whispers to me.  
It's ironic, because I don't even trust myself.  
We are probably just going to drown ourselves.

At least we will drown together.

Ember jumps.

I feel a brief sensation of flying. It feels glorious. Fire and Ice are traveling through the sky together.

This sensation ends all too quickly and is replaced by another one. This one is much less enjoyable.  
This is every nightmare coming to life all at the very same moment.

Icy water encloses itself around Ember and I.  
I feel panic well up within me.  
We are going to die.

At least I'll die with Ember.

Rather than think about the frigid fingers of the ocean grasping for my frozen body, I let my full attention go to Ember and his fiery warmth. Even here, in the cold depths of the angry seawater, Ember's warmth still welcomes me.

He holds me close.

Fire and Ice sink into the very same ocean that took my parent's lives.


	24. Chapter 24

Fog and haze swirl around in the darkness.  
I hear voices.

"Is there nothing you can do to help her?" I recognize Ember's voice as easily as I could recognize my own.  
"Are you not capable of doing it yourself?" Comes a strange voice... yet oddly familiar. Where have I heard this voice before?  
"What could I possibly do?" I can hear much emotion in Ember's words. "We came seeking your help."  
"Perhaps your trip was futile."  
"You can help her!" Ember raises his voice now. "How can you just stand there and watch her die?"  
"I might ask you the same thing." Footsteps reverberate in my ears, becoming quieter and quieter until they are no more.

"You were just like me and I never even knew." Ember whispers. "Please, Elsa, wake up."

I awaken in the land where time stands still.  
The blizzard is still going strong.  
"Is that it then?" I ask. "Am I out of time?"  
"Do you wish to be?" The blizzard responds with a question of his own.  
"Of course not."  
"I will permit you to have one more moment in the real world." He says. This is quite gracious of him, and I can't help but think that he shall become decent enough company when I must stay here forever. I just wish he wouldn't make everything so cold.  
"Thank you." My voice comes out choked with tears. "That is kind."

My eyes flutter open. I am in a little, stone room. It is unfamiliar to me. I have never been here before.  
Ember is sitting a few feet away from where I am lying on a cot. He has his head in his hands. He looks defeated, like a fire that has tried burning through a snowstorm, but got itself snuffed out.

"Ember." I whisper.  
My lips will open, just barely. Attempting to move any part of my body at this point would be utterly foolish. I am as good as Hemmin's desired ice sculpture.  
Ember jerks his body toward me.  
"Elsa!"  
He sits himself at my bedside, mere inches away.  
How I wish he would just wrap his arms around me as he did those last few moments on the Gerda.  
I smile up at him.  
"The wizard won't help us, Elsa." He whispers.  
"I know."  
"I will get you back to Arendelle."  
"No."  
He draws back. "What do you mean..." He already knows; I can see it in his eyes.  
"I'm not going back, Ember." My words can hardly be heard. He hears them all too well.  
"You must." I can see moisture building in those fiery eyes of his. Somehow, they do not look quite so fiery like this. "Your kingdom needs you! Anna needs you! I need you..."  
"Shhh..." I reach my fingers out to his lips to quiet him. They tingle at the little touch.  
"Ember." I speak. "Where I am going, you cannot come. The time stands still in this land. I have no more time here. Will you carry me to this new land?"  
He is trembling, but he nods his head.  
He reaches out for me and draws me into his arms for the last time.  
I savor the feeling of being wrapped up in a blanket of warmth.  
I rest my head against his chest.  
I listen to his heartbeat. The sound is unlike any I have ever heard. It almost sounds as if it is saying something to me. Could that be possible?  
_"Ik-kum-a, Ik-kum-a, Ik-kum-a"_

Ember draws his face toward mine. He brushes his lips against my own.  
Fire and Ice collide.

At the beginning of this story, if my memory doesn't fail me, I spoke to you about how love was not strong enough to save me.  
Even now, I stand by what I have previously said.  
Love is not strong enough.  
It wasn't strong enough then, and it isn't now.  
Having powers of any sort is an unnatural thing.  
Ice will always seek to freeze; fire to burn.  
It will always eventually overcome the individual.  
However, if there is a balance, these unnatural abilities can exist in harmony.

Sharing this kiss with Ember restores balance in nature.

I can feel something crack from deep within me.  
I can feel my body shattering into many little pieces.  
A chunk of ice breaks off from my arm. It falls to the floor, smashing itself into tiny fragments. This continues, piece after piece detaching itself from me to meet it's destiny on to the hard, stone floor.  
Brand new moist skin is underneath the layers of ice.  
I am not frozen.  
I am Elsa again.

"Ember!" I look up at him, I smile the brightest smile that I have ever smiled. "You saved me!"

"I should think it was about time." A peculiar masculine figure enters into the room, breaking what should have been a very intimate moment.  
This man has a long, gray beard; a pointy, red hat; and spectacles sitting on the end of his rather long nose. He is wearing a lavish robe, which trails on the ground behind him.  
He looks to be very wise, yet curiously humorous somehow.  
His voice is almost a touch too high.

"Who is he?" I ask.

"I am the Wizard Fate."


	25. Chapter 25

The three of us are seated at a large, stone table. If a table could be considered intimidating, I suppose this one would be just that.  
I allow myself to look around the strange room. My eyes dart from one corner of the room to the next.  
Everything is made of stone: the walls, the floors, the bookcases, the table, and so on and so forth.  
It is rather dark in this room, as there are no windows. There is an old chandelier hung up on the dead center of the ceiling. Cobwebs and years of filth drape from it's ancient arms. It does succeed in illuminating the room with a dim glow.

"This is the Kingdom On The Top Of The World?" I cannot help but ask, even though I already know the answer.  
"I suppose it could be considered as such." The wizard responds. "Perhaps it was slightly exaggerated by the authors of the past. You know how they are," he lets out an exasperated sigh. "Always trying to get a good story, so they stretch out their details."  
"This is, indeed, my realm," The wizard goes on. "And it is, indeed, located at the exact top of the world. It is more of a cottage than a kingdom."

"You seem to enjoy stone..." Ember remarks. "I am not at all opposed to the concept. I have been stuck aboard a ship made of wood. I find the stone to be quite a relief."  
"I like to ensure that my home be sturdy." The Wizard Fate explains. "Being that it is built upon nothing but clouds."

Ember and I exchange glances.

"Clouds?" I am the first to say it.

"Indeed." The wizard nods. "Your ship passed right underneath me. You never would have made it here had I not told you to come to the water."

Ah! That is how his voice is so familiar! He is the one who called to me when I was trapped by Hemmin in my room!

"For once, one of you humans had the intelligence to listen." The wizard huffs.  
I don't know if I should be flattered or offended. Perhaps I will not read too much into it.  
"No matter, you came all this way for something you could have fixed upon first meeting one another." Fate rambles. "Silly humans, they always expect me to fix things for them."  
"We do not need to ask you to expel our powers anymore." This comes from Ember, he sounds almost uncertain. "Being united with Elsa's ice has restored the balance, has it not?"  
"Indeed, it has." The wizard answers. "Just in the nick of time. Rather, just out of time. It is because of the blizzard's compassion that you are here, Elsa." He mutters to himself, "I imagine he should get in a bit of trouble for that one, now won't he?"  
"Trouble?" I gasp. "What do you mean?"  
"My brother is the Time Keeper." Fate explains. "He is not a cruel man, I assure you. His brain just works on a very... strict schedule. Time is time to him. Time is something much more meaningless to me, because I am Fate. Fate sometimes must reach beyond time to get to it's goal. That was the case with you, Elsa."  
"Will the blizzard be all right?" That is all I really wish to know.  
"I presume." The wizard nods. "I will do my best to explain the situation to my brother, but he does not like it when I tamper with his affairs."

I feel remorse for the blizzard. He was so unexpectedly kind. I hope the Time Keeper has the same compassion for him as the blizzard did for me.  
There is nothing more that I can do to help him, however.

I mustn't dillydally any longer. There is important business in this land that I must tend to. This is business that I can do something about.

"I must get back to Arendelle." I declare.  
"Indeed." The wizard agrees.  
"I will get you back." Ember promises.  
"Indeed, Indeed." Fate nods, enthusiastically. "I have the perfect thing for you. Come this way."

We follow the Wizard Fate out of his stone cottage.  
He was not lying when he said that it was built upon clouds.  
The wizard strides across the clouds without hesitation.  
I take a cautious step out onto the fluffy, white surface.  
Will it hold my weight?  
Yes, it will.

Ember and I trail behind the wizard, our fingers entwined with one another's.  
It is quite an intriguing sensation to walk upon the surface of the clouds.  
The wizard leads us into another stone building, this one being much smaller.  
It seems to be a stable.  
There is a single stall.  
In place of what would have logically been a horse, is a glorious Pegasus.

"Her name is Celeste." The Wizard Fate informs us.

Celeste is the color of the sun's golden beams shining down upon the Earth. She really is quite magnificent in the most breathtaking way.

"We are to fly back to Arendelle upon the back of a Pegasus?" Ember does not seem convinced.  
"If you wish to make haste." The wizard seems annoyed by Ember's uncertainty.  
"Indeed." Ember proceeds to mount the beautiful animal.  
Taking his hand for support, I swing myself up after him.

We are ready to take off into the heavens so that we might return to Arendelle.

"One more thing." The Wizard Fate speaks just as we are about to set off.  
"Yes?" Ember turns his attention to the great wizard.  
"Fate never hiccups." The wizard declares. It almost looks as though there is a playful humor within his eyes. "I have never once hiccupped."  
Ember smiles.  
Celeste takes off into the air, swirling around the stable, out the door, and up into the blueness of the sky.

This is how it came to be that Fire and Ice flew across the expanse of the great sky, upon the back of a Pegasus named Celeste.  
Fate has willed it to be so.


	26. Chapter 26

_The Inuit woman is before me once more.  
She has a knowing look engraved on her face._

_"Ikkuma." I say this to her. "It means 'Fire', doesn't it?"_  
_She grins._  
_I take the Inuit gloves off of my hands; the Arendelle ones, also._  
_I reveal my new, healthy flesh to her._  
_"I won't be needing these anymore." I hand the gloves back to the woman. She has more use for them then I do now._  
_"Thank you." I tell her, my words sincere._  
_She dips her head._

Ember and I have been riding on Celeste for several months now.

Celeste is a strong creature. The muscles in her wings strain unrelenting in the wind. They have been fluttering for days on end. We try to give her breaks as often as we can. I wouldn't want to tire the poor thing.

I admit that I am growing rather impatient. I want to be back in Arendelle.  
Without a doubt, Hemmin will have returned before me. I hope to get there as soon as I possibly can.  
I must stop her.  
I know not what her plans are to be. I can only hope that she will not harm my people... or my sister.  
Please, Hemmin, do not hurt Anna!

"We should let Celeste rest." Ember breaks through my thoughts. "I can tell she is tiring."  
I agree, although I admit that I am reluctant. I need to get to Arendelle.

Ember directs Celeste to swoop downward toward the solid ground below.  
When her hoofs firmly touch the Earth's surface, we both dismount from the Pegasus.

"That a girl." Ember runs his fingers through Celeste's golden mane. It is slightly tangled from the torrential winds whirling around up in the atmosphere. Once we are back in Arendelle, I will see to it that she is taken to our royal stable to be groomed back to her former grandeur.

"Shall I make us a fire?" He grins at me. I think he is quite pleased to have full control over his powers now.  
I nod my approval.  
I help him gather wood. He seems to have a much better eye for finding ideal fire wood.  
Once we have a decent pile gathered, he kneels before it and begins to work his magic.

Let it go.

He does.  
A small, controlled flame rises out from the palm of his hand. He focuses his eyes upon it, as though he is looking deep into the fire's soul.  
Like a father willing his child to run off to school, Ember commands the fire to leave the familiarity of his hand. The flame trudges slowly into the firewood. "Must I leave you, Master?" I can imagine it whining.  
We have successfully made a fire: a nice, small fire.  
Ember is elated.

"You did it!" I congratulate him.  
"Indeed." He smiles at his work, proudly.

We sit around the fire for several hours.  
Celeste feeds upon some grass in a nearby field. She seems to be quite content.

The reflections of the flames dance on Ember's face, an orange glow rippling into his eyes.  
I enjoy watching it.  
Over the course of our time sitting here, something somber seems to have crept into him.  
"Why do you look as you do?" My question rises out. It startles the fire, shaking it's flames a little.  
Ember glances at me. "Just thinking."  
"About?"  
He sighs. "Ida."  
I feel his pain as if it were my own.  
I wish I could fix the broken pieces in his heart, but I know that I cannot.  
However, I can tell him what I did not before.  
"I didn't tell you..." I take a deep breath. I know that I have his full attention. He is looking at me with those intense, gray eyes of his. "As you now know, I have ice powers. Many of your struggles have once been my own. I tried for years and years to conceal my powers, just as you had. It proved futile.  
Ember, I nearly killed my sister, Anna, twice. It's a miracle that she is alive."  
His eyes are sympathetic. He feels my pain as I feel his.  
"I should have told you before..."  
"Uh... yeah."  
"I'm sorry."  
"I will always forgive you." He takes my hand in his.

Celeste neighs from where she is grazing nearby. I suppose she is saying, "I'm still here... stop being gross."  
Ember and I laugh.  
"I should think Celeste has had a sufficient amount of time to regain her strength." He comments. "Let us continue on our journey back to Arendelle. You have been away far too long, my Elsa."

We mount back onto Celeste and soar back into the heavens.  
My stomach has nervous butterflies swarming within it.  
I sing to calm myself.  
"In the mountain's arms  
Held closely by the hills  
A kingdom safe and warm  
Is resting very still  
It's people strong  
Their hearts are well  
I hear their song  
'We never broke, we never fell  
We are the folk of Arendelle'."

My people will be all right.

We fly constantly for many days.  
I can tell by the terrain that we are getting close... very close.  
The land has become quite mountainous.  
Over every peak, I expect to see Arendelle resting at the mountain's base. Over very peak, I am met with disappointment.  
There has still not been any sign of Arendelle.  
Celeste is growing weary, once again.  
"Perhaps we should stop again, Elsa." Ember suggests.  
I know in my heart that we are nearly there, but I do not wish to endanger Celeste.  
We must let her rest.  
Ember gives Celeste his consent to land.

"No, wait!" I cry.  
Celeste jerks back up.  
"There!" I point, exhilarated beyond words.

Resting at the bottom of the mountains, surrounded by a sparkling, blue mass of water, stands what I know to be Arendelle. Even though it is a mere speck in the distance, I know this is my kingdom without any question in my mind.

"I'm home." I whisper.


	27. Chapter 27

It has been over half a year since I have set foot in Arendelle.  
Save those few times in my nightmares, this is the first time in forever that I have been back.  
It feels surreal.  
When I had departed on the Gerda all that time ago, a good portion of my kingdom had been burned to the ground.  
Arendelle now stands tall and magnificent, even more splendid than it had before.  
There are still parts of the outskirts that have not been reconstructed, but what has been remodeled looks far better than it originally had by a great deal.  
Anna has done well; very well.

Ember and I walk down the streets of Arendelle, Celeste trailing along behind us.  
Something does feel strange, although I cannot quite put my finger on it.

"Where is everyone?" Ember examines the deserted streets.  
Ah, that is what it is.  
There are no people; not a single one. This is what feels off.  
"I don't know..." I answer, feeling rather bewildered. "I would have thought they would all be singing and dancing under Anna's rule."  
The whole village seems to be abandoned.

I could sense movement behind me. Someone just rounded the corner.  
"Follow me." I order Ember, taking off after the figure.  
We chase after this unknown being. We round the corner to find the village baker pushing a cart of his delectable treats.  
"You! Stop!" I command. It has been a rather long time since I have exercised my authority.  
The baker halts, jumping a little out of surprise.  
"Oh! You're Highness!" His eyes are wide. "I was just retrieving some refreshments for your coronation."  
"My... coronation?"  
"Er... yes." The baker looks rather uncomfortable. He shifts his eyes from me to Ember to Celeste.  
"Baker, was I at this coronation just a few moments ago?"  
"Er... yes."  
This must be where everyone is gathered.  
"Thank you, Baker." I say. "You are permitted to return to your obligations."  
The baker continues on his way back to the castle, pushing his cart along with him, and looking back several times with a critical look on his face.

"They picked me." I breathe.  
"What?" Ember's face is now almost as critical as the Baker's.  
"My people picked me to be their queen." I explain. "Over Anna."  
I never imagined in my wildest dreams that my people would ever pick me in Anna's stead. I thought I was a disappointment to them. I thought I never measured up to their expectations. I can't believe they still want me to rule the kingdom.  
Reality kicks in.  
Elsa is at the coronation. Hemmin is stealing my crown.  
"We have to stop Hemmin." I declare.  
"Agreed." Ember nods. "But how?"  
"How?" I laugh. "The old fashioned way."

We make our way to the palace, keeping a determined pace.  
We go down the road, around the corners, and all through Arendelle.  
Finally, we stand before my old home. The castle rises up gloriously tall, spreading up toward the sky.  
The gates are open wide. This is Anna saying, "Welcome! You are all welcomed here!"  
I march through the gates. Ember and Celeste follow close behind.  
I know exactly where I am heading.  
Where else does one perform a coronation? The throne room.  
I remember when my coronation was held all that time ago, before anyone knew about my powers.  
It isn't the best memory of mine; quite the contrary, actually.  
The people are holding a new coronation for me now, to symbolize the rebirth of our Arendelle. I fully intend to be the one who gets crowned today.

I reach the door to the throne room. I stop suddenly, taking in a deep breath.  
Ember squeezes my hand, letting me know that he is right here beside me.

There comes that time in almost every fairytale when the hero (or heroine) does that one noble thing that alters the course of the story.  
Sometimes, this particular thing that I speak of is a prince barging into a wedding ceremony right at that perfect moment, trying desperately to prevent his true love from marrying another.  
I suppose what I am about to do could possibly be compared to this.

I barge through the door.

The other Elsa stands in the back of the room, precisely in front of my throne. Anna stands next to her, about to rest my crown upon the imposter's head.

"Stop!" I order, my voice ringing through the large room.

The crowds of people turn around at this disruption, all gasping simultaneously at the sight of me (the real me).

"Elsa?" Anna's face displays much confusion. She looks from me, to the other Elsa, then back to me again.

"Anna." I take a few steps down the center aisle of the room, slowly making my way towards her. "It's me."

Everyone keeps looking back and forth, from Elsa to Elsa.  
I can hear various murmurs arise from perplexed villagers.  
"There are two Queen Elsa's, Mommy." A young girl whispers.  
"Shhhh..."  
"What is this trickery?"  
"Which one is the real one?"  
"I can't tell..."  
How can I convince them that I am their true queen?

The other Elsa looks quite displeased by my presence. I feel greatly displeased by her presence, as well.  
"You're ruining my coronation!" Her accent has become significantly more convincing. Have we been practicing to not thud our words out, Hemmin?  
"That's peculiar." I respond. "I am fairly certain that it's mine."  
She gives me a piercing look. I hope that Anna notices this; Anna would know that I would never look at someone in such a way as this.  
The other Elsa suddenly snatches the crown from Anna's hands. She places it upon her light hair… my hair.  
Anna looks quite disoriented.  
The imposter flees the throne room, by way of one of the smaller side doors.  
I take off after her, leaving everyone in a state of shock and befuddlement.

In the name of Arendelle, I am going to get my crown back.


	28. Chapter 28

I pursue Hemmin.  
I follow her down hallways, down stairways, through doorways, up stairways, and all throughout the castle.  
She leads me into parts of the castle I hadn't been to in ages, no mind to the fact that I haven't been in the castle at all in ages.  
She clearly has no particular destination in mind.  
She wanders mindlessly through the castle, not having any idea where she is or where she is going.

"Hemmin!" I call out after her. "Please, stop!"  
"No!" She thuds, talking as her true self again, but still in my form.  
"It doesn't have to be this way!" I reason.  
"Yes, it does." She bites back. "I won't have my Pa die the same way my Ma did. I can't stay on that ship forever, and I won't let him go without me.  
I will be queen of Arendelle. I will make it so he never has to go out to sea ever again."  
"Is that what you desire, Hemmin?" I ask, chasing her down yet another hall. "I can give you that. Just give me back my crown. I promise I will help you!"  
"Liar!" Hemmin snarls. "You won't help me, I know you won't!"  
"I will!" I cry. "Please, Hemmin; change back."  
"No!"

The words to her mother's song float through my mind.  
I sing these words out to Hemmin as I follow on after her.  
"Change as Fate wills  
Change as should be  
Remain yourself still  
As you reach destiny"

"Stop it!" She shrieks.  
Of course, I won't.

"If you find yourself altered  
If you find that you lost  
You stumbled and faltered  
The wrong change you crossed  
Remember who you are  
Who you know you should be  
You never are too far  
To come back to me"

"I said STOP." Heated thuds shoot from her mouth.

"You can revise and reform  
You may rearrange  
Until you transform  
Back to your true self be changed."

Hemmin whirls around, nearly knocking into me. She has anger screaming in her eyes.  
"How dare you!" She yells.  
"I want to help you, Hemmin."  
"It's your fault my Ma is dead! It's your fault!" She bawls. "She died because of your parents! It's your fault!"  
I pity her. I long to reach out and wrap my arms around her. I want so much to help her.  
"Your Ma wouldn't want this for you." I say softly.

She takes off running again.  
Through more halls, more rooms, and back down the stairs the way we came.  
I follow her without hesitation.  
We are now in the main room of the castle: the entrance, if you will.

"There you are." Anna approaches us.

We both skid to a stop. I nearly slip on the smooth, marble floor. I almost fall onto my backside, but I am able to regain my balance just in the nick of time.

The other Elsa and I stand a few feet apart.

"Everyone is waiting for you two." Anna looks back and forth between the two of us. She raises her eyebrows, clearly not at all sure which one is the real one.  
"You mean they're waiting for me." Hemmin has the audacity to say this.  
"No." Anna replies. "I mean the both of you."  
She gestures us to follow her back into the throne room.  
We comply.

We position ourselves in the back of the room, directly in front of the throne.  
All three of us stand before the people of Arendelle: one Elsa on each side of Anna.

"I have proposed a way that we might figure out who our one, true queen is." Anna announces. "Whoever succeeds will be crowned queen of Arendelle."  
She glances at each one of us. "Do you accept my proposal?"  
I notice that the other Elsa has lost a bit of her confidence, but she still nods her approval.  
I give my consent, as well.

"Good." Anna looks pleased.

The people look on with interest. They wish to uncover the truth. They hang on to Anna's every word, anticipating the outcome of this new development.

"Whichever one of you can do this small task that I ask of you is clearly my sister, Elsa." Anna proclaims.

I admit to you that I am growing exceedingly curious as to what Anna's clever, little plan is.  
I look out over my people, they still seem to be muttering to one another. Most likely, they are making bets as to which one of us they believe is actually the real me.  
I am hoping that all of the bets are being placed on me.  
Ember is in the crowd of villagers. He looks nervous for me.  
I catch his eye and smile reassuringly at him; he returns the gesture.

"I want you to build me a snowman." Anna says simply.

I almost burst out laughing.  
Of course, this would be Anna's way of discerning who the real Elsa is.  
Of course, Anna would put the future of the entire kingdom of Arendelle on this one, little thing.

Anna wants me to build her a snowman.  
A snowman she will get. It will be the finest snowman she has ever seen.  
Olaf will be immensely jealous but, under the circumstances, I do believe he will eventually find it within himself to forgive me.

Hemmin deflates. She already knows that she has been defeated.  
This is the one flaw in her plan.  
Hemmin can look and sound like me to her heart's desire, but this she cannot do.  
Hemmin is not the Snow Queen.  
I am the Snow Queen.

* * *

_**A/N: Two more chapters to go!**_


	29. Chapter 29

Creating life is a peculiar sensation.  
I suppose the easiest way to describe it would be like this:  
It starts as a tickle, somewhere from deep within. I would say that it comes from somewhere in my heart, but I do not think that would be an accurate statement.  
It comes from the same place the ice does, and the ice does not come from my heart. The ice comes from an intangible place. Therefore, life comes from an intangible place.  
It is as though Fate has given his consent for this life to be formed. For, it would be rather inconceivable that life be formed without his consent.  
A spark is ignited in this intangible place. It tickles, wanting desperately to escape.  
Life cannot possibly be expected to stay in such a place for very long. Once something has become life, it must seek it's destiny and fulfill it's purpose. Life cannot do this from an intangible place.  
It proceeds to tickle until it finds something more tangible.  
It tickles up into my lungs, to be expelled as a single breath.  
It is welcomed into the world.  
Everything is so bright, so colorful, and so alive.

This is how Lumi came to be.

Ice and life mingle together to create a beautiful snow creature.

All the people of Arendelle watch it happen, awe sparkling in their eyes.  
I made Anna a snowman... actually, I suppose I twisted the rules just a tiny bit.  
Lumi is a snow... princess? A snow person, all the same, so I think it still counts.

"Where am I?" Lumi opens her eyes for the first time, taking in the world around her.  
"Well, I'll be." I see that Olaf has finally found something more interesting than snow cones.  
"It's you!" Anna gives out a cry of joy, latching onto me and pulling me into a nice, sisterly hug.

The other Elsa backs away slowly.  
"Hemmin." I address her.  
She ignores me, taking off at a run.  
I have no choice. I signal the guards to catch her.  
I mean her no harm, but I will have to deal with her later. I hope she will come back to her senses.  
"Don't touch me!" Hemmin screams, trying to get away from the guards' hold on her. It's no use. She is just a little girl fighting against trained men.  
She morphs slowly back into her true form; her light Elsa-colored hair darkening back to its original drab brown; her sparkling, blue eyes becoming dull and beady.  
Her mouth is set in a thin line.  
She is Hemmin again.

Everyone gasps at this transformation.

My head guard retrieves my crown from atop Hemmin's head. "I believe this is yours, my queen."  
"Thank you." I take the crown in my hands and place it on my hair. For once in my life, I actually feel as though the crown belongs here.  
"What are we to do with her, Queen Elsa?" My guard inquires.  
"Just contain her for a short while." I answer. It pains me to do so, but she has left me no choice. I do intend to release her. I think we both need a little bit of time to gather our bearings.  
"Yes, of course." They take Hemmin away.

"I knew it was you the whole time!" Anna hugs me again. "Well, maybe not the whole time... she really did look an awful lot like you."  
"I know."  
"I'm so glad you have finally come home!" She exclaims. "And I see you still have those powers of yours; I knew you wouldn't rid of them. They seem to be working better than ever."  
We turn our attention to Lumi, who is formally being introduced to Olaf.  
"She's beautiful!" Anna gushes.

"Would you care for a snow cone?" Olaf offers one of his prized goodies to Lumi.  
"Oh dear, are you sure you should be eating that?" She looks at him with a wide-eyed expression.  
"Uh... why wouldn't I?"  
"It's snow."  
"Indeed, it is."  
"We're made of snow."  
"Oh..."

Anna and I giggle. It has been far too long since I've shared one of these wonderful moments with my sister. I have missed it immensely.  
Someone clears their throat behind me.  
I whirl around to find myself facing Ember.

"Nice work, Elsa." He tells me, dipping his head toward Lumi.  
"Thanks." I reply, suddenly feeling rather shy.  
"It's nice to see you again, Ember." Anna puts in. "Under much better circumstances this time... well, almost."  
Ember laughs dryly. "Indeed." He turns his attention back to me. "Might I speak with you for a moment, Elsa?"  
Anna gives me a look; I find myself blushing.  
"Of course." I take his hand and let him lead me out of the throne room. I can feel Anna's eyes upon me the whole way. I admit that I am dreading the conversation that we will undoubtedly be having later.

He leads me outside to one of the castle's many balconies.  
He leans against the railing, and looks out over the expanse of the kingdom; this reminds me of all those times aboard the Gerda.  
He studies the gray thunderheads making their way across the sky. He remains quiet for a great deal of time.  
"Things are about to change, Elsa." At last, he speaks.  
"Yes." I concur. "But change is a good thing as long as you don't lose yourself along the way."  
"I fear that I might lose myself." He responds. "If you are not with me."  
I am at a loss for words.  
Ember allows his eyes to look upon me, burning into me as they always do.  
"Will you marry me, Elsa?"  
"I..." I stammer, completely losing all capability to speak intelligibly. "I... yes. Yes, of course!" I throw my arms around him, totally elated.  
Giant raindrops start pouring down upon us.  
We laugh together like little kids.

"The girl escaped!" Someone shouts, breaking through our special moment.  
Ember and I exchanged glances. We take off running at the same time, heading back in the direction of the throne room.  
Anna stops us on our way.  
"Where is Hemmin?" I ask her. "What has happened?"  
"She's gone." She tells me.  
"The harbor!" A guard calls out. "They took the Gerda!"

We all set off as fast as we can go. Ember is slightly faster than Anna and I.  
In just these few minutes, the storm has taken a turn for the worst.  
I am completely soaked.  
Thunder rumbles it's dissatisfaction. Lightning flashes it's outrage.  
Anna and I meet up with Ember and Kristoff at the harbor.  
I do believe I would be quite accurate in saying that everyone in Arendelle is here with us.

"Look." Kristoff directs our eyes to the Gerda, already a good distance out into the sea.  
"Captain Roald must have taken Hemmin with him." Ember comments.  
"Should I send a ship after them?" My head guard asks of me.  
Thunder cracks, screaming it's warning to all of Arendelle.  
"No." I respond, uneasiness churning in my stomach.  
I stare out at the choppy waters. It looks as it always did in my nightmares.  
The wind is restless, the waves are out of control, the skies are crying, the lightning and thunder are trying so very hard to outdo one another; it would prove useless to send another ship out after them. The storm is too violent.

Out of nowhere, a fearsome wave rises up into the sky.  
This feels so much like déjà vu.  
It seems as though Fate himself has summoned this wave.  
In one definite motion, the wave engulfs the Gerda, sending it down into the depths of the ocean to be with her sister, the Kaia, once more.  
Everyone is silent, overtaken by shock.  
I would be lying if I said that I hadn't seen it coming.  
My heart aches, yet I know that Hemmin is exactly where she has always wanted to be.

Hemmin is with her Ma again.

* * *

**_A/N: Tomorrow will be the last chapter! We're in the home stretch, guys._**


	30. Chapter 30

Knock, knock.

"Oh, Elsa! Guess what day it is today!" Anna's singsong voice rings out from the other side of my bedroom door.  
I play along "I'm not sure... is there something special going on today, Anna? I'm not aware of anything in particular."  
She flings the door wide open, her face shining with elation.  
"You're getting married!"  
Anna grasps my hands in hers. Her blue eyes are much bigger than usual... I think someone is just a tiny bit excited.  
"I'm so happy for you, Elsa!" She exclaims.  
"I'm quite happy myself." I admit.  
"I would ask you if you want to build a snowman," she says. "But Lumi and Olaf seem to be quite satisfied as it is."  
"So it does seem."  
"Hey!" She blurts out. "Maybe when they get married, you can make them some snow babies!"  
Oh, Anna...  
"We'll see." I say simply.  
"You should be getting ready!" Anna tells me. "I'll leave you alone... unless you want me to stay and help. I do quite enjoy helping!"  
I invite Anna to stay with me until the wedding. I find that she proves to be quite useful, stating her opinion on my attire and making tasteful alterations.

Time goes by admittedly slow, but it is finally time for the moment I do believe we have all been waiting for.  
I don't think I ever thought I, the Snow Queen, could actually ever get married. After all, who would've wanted to marry someone like me?  
My whole life was spent trying to conceal something that was beyond my control.  
Now... I am free.  
This is all because of Ember.  
Today, both of us are free to let it go. We do not have to be held back any longer.  
Fire and Ice will officially unite to restore balance to nature.

I would love to describe my procession to you, but as the bride, I do not even get to witness this myself.  
Wouldn't you think that whoever came up with the concept of wedding ceremonies would've thought this through just a little bit better? I mean... I don't even get to watch my own wedding. What's up with that?  
I can tell you that my wedding, unlike Anna's, actually has a flower girl. Sorry, Olaf.

I am given the signal.  
It is time for me to make my way down the aisle.  
I emerge into the throne room, demanding everyone's attention by my presence alone.

I am donned in a dress that looks as though it was sewn together out of fire itself.  
My hair is styled in it's signature braid.  
My face is set in the expression of an exhilarated bride.

I proceed down the aisle, my eyes set on Ember, and his on mine.

As I walk, my dress sparkles like authentic flames. It shimmers in every fiery hue of red, orange, and gold. No one can take their eyes away from me.  
The Snow Queen does not look so much like snow anymore, now does she?  
Except for my footwear. I am wearing Anna's wedding shoes (she insisted), the ones that look as though they were carved of ice.  
You would probably think that I would feel rather uncomfortable walking around in shoes made of ice, being that my feet were completely frozen not all that long ago.  
I find that the shoes do not cause me any discomfort at all.  
After all, the cold never bothered me anyway... or at least it doesn't anymore.

I make it to Ember.

This is Kristoff's cue, as he is the one performing the ceremony.  
Perhaps some would say that it is rather odd that an ice harvester is performing my wedding, however you might be pleasantly surprised to know that Kristoff does this job nearly as good as my father would have.

"You may now kiss the bride." Kristoff proclaims.

Ember and I share a heart-melting kiss.

All of Arendelle sighs with contentment.

Anna has Kristoff. Elsa has Ember.

Ember and I dance for hours without end.  
We are Fire and Ice, twirling around and around the ballroom together.  
I find that I don't mind dancing, which is a miracle of its own.  
I know what Ember and I have is one of the most beautiful and precious things in the world.  
I thank Fate every day for bringing us together.  
I thank Fate for giving me my ice powers. I thank Fate for making me the Snow Queen.  
After all, Fate never hiccups.

Fire and Ice  
Burning and Freezing  
Both will suffice  
Both are quite pleasing  
Crystals and Flames  
Chilling and Blazing  
Both can be tamed  
Both are amazing  
Ashes and Frost  
Crackling and Frozen  
All is not lost  
For we have been chosen  
Both will suffice  
Fire and Ice

I suppose this should be the part of the story where I tell you that we "all lived happily ever after". As a princess in a fairytale, I presume it would be quite disappointing to you if I don't.  
But, in order for me to tell you this, I myself would have to know.  
I do not know, as my story is still being told, page by page and day by day.  
Life is full of disappointments; let it go.

The End

* * *

**_Whoa! The story is finally finished, guys!_**  
**_I will honestly tell y'all that it has been the longest time since I have actually completed a story. This makes me extremely happy._**

**_I had been waiting for Frozen to come out for about a year._**  
**_I had discovered that Disney was making their own rendition of The Snow Queen when I was searching around for just about any adaptions of the story that I could find. I really, really was wanting to read a book called Winter's Child by Cameron Dokey, but my library didn't have a copy of it._**  
**_The concept of The Snow Queen was alluring to me._**  
**_I started looking all over the web. This was when I learned about Frozen. Naturally, I was elated that Disney was making it._**

**_Disney put a very interesting spin on the story._**  
**_I rather liked Anna, but Elsa proved to be more relatable to me (no, I do not claim to have unnatural magic ice powers)._**  
**_Disney succeeded in giving Anna her Prince Charming (or ice harvester), however, they chose to leave Elsa alone, swinging open the door of fanfics wide open._**  
**_I really, really wanted Elsa to end up with a Fire Prince. _**  
**_I hope Disney makes a sequel; I definitely think they could if they wanted to._**

**_Let It Go is still being played on repeat, I'll have you know. I really like both Idina's and Demi's versions of the song. I can't choose which one I like better; I think they each bring something different to the table._**  
**_The other songs are quite enjoyable, as well. I rather like the broadway feel they have to them._**  
**_Since it was a musical, I thought it would be cool to add some poetry into my story. I also sneaked in some lyric references._**

**_Anybody up for some Fun Facts? This is a short compilation of interesting details having to do with my fic._**

**_-Gerda and Kai are the names of the main characters in the original story of The Snow Queen written by Hans Christian Andersen. They made their cameo in my story as the sister ships, the Gerda and the Kaia._**

**_-Ikkuma is the actual Inuit word for 'fire'. This was not just some random gibberish I made up to make myself feel clever. Although, I admit that I still feel rather clever for using it._**

**_-The name 'Hemming' was possibly derived from the Old Norse word 'hamr' meaning 'shape'. It also might have originally been a nickname used for a person believed to be a shapeshifter. Hence, we have Hemmin._**

**_-Theoretically, Inuitia was intended to be a kingdom located at the top of Greenland. There actually are Inuits that live in parts of Greenland. Although I doubt they live in kingdoms made entirely out of ice, some do live in igloos (Inuit: Iglu) during the winter months. Seaweed (kuanniq) and tubers are a part of some of the Inuits' diet, depending on region and season. The mystery meat I spoke of could have been whale, walrus, seal, polar bear, or muskoxen... take your pick._**

**_-Lumi means 'snow' in Finnish. I tried to mainly use Norwegian names in my story, but I figured since Finland isn't that far away from Norway I could probably get away with it. Besides, 'Elsa'_**  
**_isn't Norwegian._**

**_-Celeste is derived from the Latin word 'caelestis', which means 'heavenly' or 'devine'. I think most of us are familiar with Princess Celestia from My Little Pony?_**

**_-It took me approximately 20 consecutive days to write this story. This is my first fanfic ever._**

**_You get extra points if you already knew any of that._**

**_In case you happened to notice any holes in my plot that you feel left you without absolute closure; I probably did it on purpose. I am possibly working on a sequel. This one is going to be focusing on Ida (Ember's sister). The concept has me intrigued thus far, and I assume that it is a good thing to be intrigued by your own story._**  
**_It will obviously still be based around Frozen, so no worries there._**  
**_It will most likely be a few weeks until I post it. If I post it. I suppose that's always a good disclaimer to add. We shall see. Tell me your thoughts about it, if you wish to._**

**_Also, I LOVED reading all of your reviews! It was cool getting to hear each of your opinions, critiques, and compliments. I admit that it was probably the highlight of my day coming home to find all of your messages about my story._**  
**_Thank y'all so much!_**

**_This is really long and you get even more points if you are still reading._**

**_Until we meet again,_**  
**_~Aubri_**


End file.
